Guide to asbestos for industry

A Guide to
Asbestos for Industry
Occupational Safety and Health Division
N. C. Department of Labor
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
17
N. C. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Program
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
OSHA State Plan Designee
Allen McNeely
Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
Kevin Beauregard
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
J. Edgar Geddie, Ph. D.
Reviewer
Acknowledgments
The information in this guide was updated in 2009.
This guide is intended to be consistent with all existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the
reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard must be followed instead of this guide.
To obtain additional copies of this guide, or if you have questions about North Carolina occupational safety and health stan-dards
or rules, please contact:
N. C. Department of Labor
Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Phone: ( 919) 807- 2875 or 1- 800- 625- 2267
____________________
Additional sources of information are listed on the inside back cover of this guide.
____________________
The projected cost of the NCDOL OSH program for federal fiscal year 2008– 2009 is $ 17,042,662. Federal funding provides approximately 30 percent ($ 4,090,400) of
this total.
Revised 4/ 09
Contents
Part Page
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1iiv
Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1ivi
I Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1ii1
Section 1: Important Facts About Asbestos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii12
Section 2: Provisions of the Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii15
Section 3: Methods of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii12
II Asbestos Standard for General Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii20
Section 1: Important Facts About Asbestos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii21
Section 2: Provisions of the Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii22
Section 3: Methods of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii26
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii30
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii31
iii
Foreword
Once we thought asbestos was the perfect material to deal with many modern construction needs. Its tough,
high- tensile strength and its ability to withstand heat and chemical stress were considered great assets.
Today we know that those desirable properties can come at a great health cost. We know now that inhaling asbestos
fibers can cause disabling and fatal diseases. To protect workers from exposure to asbestos, employers are required to
limit employee exposure to asbestos.
A Guide to Asbestos for Industry examines how to work around asbestos safely, particularly during abatement proce-dures.
The seriousness of the threat that airborne asbestos poses to workers’ health is also examined.
In North Carolina, the N. C. Department of Labor enforces the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act through
a state plan approved by the U. S. Department of Labor. NCDOL offers many educational programs to the public and
produces publications to help inform people about their rights and responsibilities regarding occupational safety and
health.
When reading this guide, please remember the mission of the N. C. Department of Labor is greater than just regulatory
enforcement. An equally important goal is to help citizens find ways to create safe workplaces. Everyone profits when
managers and employees work together for safety. This booklet, like the other educational materials produced by the N. C.
Department of Labor, can help.
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
v
Note
This guide is based upon the U. S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s booklets
Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry and Asbestos Standard for General Industry. Most of the material is
taken directly from those publications, although some state specific changes have been made by J. Edgar Geddie, Ph. D.,
health standards officer with the NCDOL Occupational Safety and Health Division, to reflect the OSHA program in
North Carolina. This booklet is intended to provide a generic overview of the standards- related topic and is not intended
to alter or determine compliance responsibilities.
Generally speaking, 29 CFR 1910 standards apply to general industry and 29 CFR 1926 standards apply to the
construction industry. However, in instances where there are gaps in coverage, standards may apply across boundaries.
The booklet is divided into two distinct parts. The first part discusses the “ Asbestos Standard for the Construction
Industry.” The second part follows with the “ Asbestos Standard for General Industry.” The N. C. Department of Labor
has combined the key parts of these two publications and offers them in this guide, A Guide to Asbestos for Industry.
This guide is intended to be consistent with all existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the
reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard should be followed.
vi
Part I
Asbestos Standard for the
Construction Industry
Section 1
Important Facts About Asbestos
Background
Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility,
and resistance to thermal, chemical and electrical conditions.
In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet,
roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire- resistant drywall, and acoustical products. ( See Table 1 for a partial list of
asbestos- containing products and building materials that have been used over the last 80 years in the United States.) Very
few asbestos- containing products are currently being installed. Consequently, most worker exposures occur during the
removal of asbestos and the renovation and maintenance of buildings and structures containing asbestos.
Asbestos fibers enter the body by the inhalation or ingestion of airborne particles that become embedded in the tissues
of the respiratory or digestive systems. Exposure to asbestos can cause disabling or fatal diseases, such as asbestosis, an
emphysema- like condition; lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes
covering the lungs and body organs; and gastrointestinal cancer. The symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear
for 20 or more years after initial exposure.
OSHA began regulating workplace asbestos exposure in 1970, adopting a permissible exposure limit ( PEL) to regulate
worker exposures. Over the years, more information on the adverse health effects of asbestos exposure has become avail-able,
prompting the agency to revise the asbestos standard several times to better protect workers. On Aug. 10, 1994,
OSHA issued a revised final standard regulating asbestos exposure in all industries. The newly revised standard for the
construction industry lowered the PEL, cutting it in half from 0.2 fibers per cubic centimeter of air ( f/ cc) to 0.1 f/ cc. The
standard became effective Oct. 11, 1994; however, various provisions have later startup dates for compliance. ( See
“ Occupational Exposure to Asbestos,” Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) 1926.1101 for specific dates.)
Approximately 3.2 million workers in new construction, building renovation, and maintenance and custodial1 work in
buildings and industrial facilities are affected by the standard. OSHA estimates, conservatively, that about 42 additional
cancer deaths per year will be avoided in all industries, in addition to the lives saved of those peripherally exposed to
asbestos and the lives saved by earlier OSHA standards.
Regulatory Review
OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) have promulgated increasingly more stringent asbestos regula-tions.
OSHA has revised the general industry standard ( 29 CFR 1910.1001) and the construction industry standard ( 29
CFR 1926. 1101, referred to as the asbestos standard in this guide) for asbestos. These standards primarily address poten-tial
workplace exposures to asbestos, whether resulting from the manufacture of asbestos- containing products ( 29 CFR
1910.1101) or from the installation or removal of asbestos- containing building materials ( 29 CFR 1926.1101).
EPA standards have primarily addressed the removal of asbestos from school buildings through the Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act ( AHERA) ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E). AHERA requires specific inspection procedures, develop-ment
of management plans, selection of response actions, recordkeeping and training. Individuals performing inspections,
writing management plans, designing asbestos abatement projects, supervising asbestos removal projects or removing
asbestos from school buildings must receive specific EPA- approved training and be accredited in the state where they per-form
the work. In North Carolina, standards at least as stringent as those in AHERA are enforced through the Asbestos
Hazard Management Program ( N. C. Gen. Stat. § § 130A- 444 et seq. ( 1989)).
The Asbestos Hazard Management Program ( rules of operation appear at 10 NCAC 7C. 0600 et seq.), is implemented
by the N. C. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. In addition to asbestos removal from
schools, the law relates to asbestos control in other public areas not otherwise covered by OSHA. Basically, the program
( 1) limits asbestos in public areas more stringently than would OSHA regulations, ( 2) requires permits to be secured for
each asbestos removal project, and ( 3) requires people engaged in asbestos management activities to be accredited.
2
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1. Pure custodial work in manufacturing facilities is covered by the general industry asbestos standard.
Requirements for accreditation are specified for seven categories of asbestos management personnel. Additionally, North
Carolina requires that all asbestos- related projects in state- owned or public school buildings follow the Specification for
Asbestos Abatement plan developed by the N. C. Department of Administration, State Construction Office.
EPA standards regulate airborne asbestos fibers that may be released into the environment during manufacturing,
building demolition or renovation activities as well as disposal of asbestos- containing waste materials. Air emission of
asbestos is also regulated. Such regulation is through the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
( NESHAP) ( 40 CFR 61, Subparts A, B and M). The NESHAP is enforced in North Carolina by the Division of Public
Health ( see Additional Information in this publication). In particular, this program requires notification of all demolition
work.
Work Classification
The original asbestos in construction standard ( 29 CFR 1926.58) had an exemption for “ small- scale, short- duration
activities” but did not define this term. This exemption permitted employers to perform certain activities without having
to implement the extensive engineering controls that were required under paragraph ( e)( 6) of that standard.
The revised standard ( 29 CFR 1926.1101) eliminated the ambiguity associated with this exemption and classified
asbestos construction work into one of four classes or categories. This classification scheme is based on the nature of the
work activity and the type of asbestos material involved. The classification system for asbestos construction work clearly
spells out mandatory, simple, technological work practices to follow to reduce worker exposures. Four classes of con-struction
activity are matched with increasingly stringent control requirements. 2
Class I asbestos work, the most potentially hazardous class of asbestos jobs, involves the removal of thermal system
insulation and sprayed- on or troweled- on surfacing asbestos- containing materials or presumed asbestos- containing mate-rials.
3 Thermal system insulation includes asbestos- containing materials applied to pipes, boilers, tanks, ducts or other
structural components to prevent heat loss or gain. Surfacing materials include decorative plaster on ceilings, acoustical
asbestos- containing materials on decking or fireproofing on structural members.
Class II work includes the removal of other types of asbestos- containing materials that are not thermal system insula-tion,
such as resilient flooring and roofing materials containing asbestos. Examples of Class II work include removal of
floor or ceiling tiles, siding, roofing, or transite panels.
Class III asbestos work includes repair and maintenance operations where asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos-containing
materials are disturbed.
Class IV operations include custodial activities where employees clean up asbestos- containing waste and debris. This
includes dusting contaminated surfaces, vacuuming contaminated carpets, mopping floors, and cleaning up asbestos- con-taining
or presumed asbestos- containing materials from thermal system insulation.
Scope and Application
The asbestos standard for the construction industry ( 29 CFR 1926.1101) regulates asbestos exposure from activities
including, but not limited to, the following:
demolishing or salvaging structures where asbestos is present;
removing or encapsulating asbestos- containing materials;
constructing, altering, repairing, maintaining or renovating asbestos- containing structures or substrates;
installing asbestos- containing products;
cleaning up asbestos spills/ emergencies; and
transporting, disposing, storing, containing and housekeeping involving asbestos or asbestos- containing products on
a construction site.
3
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2. See Appendix elsewhere in this publication for a list of provisions broken down by work classification.
3. This includes thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed before 1981.
Table 1
Asbestos- Containing Materials Found in Buildings
4
Subdivision Generic Name Asbestos (%) Dates of Use Binder/ Sizing
Surfacing material sprayed- or 221– 95 1935– 1970 sodium silicate,
troweled- on portland cement,
organic binders
Preformed thermal batts, blocks, and
insulating products pipe covering
85% magnesia 215 1926– 1949 magnesium carbonate
calcium silicate 226– 8 1949– 1971 calcium silicate
Textiles cloth
blankets ( fire) 100 1910– present none
felts: 290– 95 1920– present cotton/ wool
blue stripe 280 1920– present cotton
red stripe 290 1920– present cotton
green stripe 295 1920– present cotton
sheets 250– 95 1920– present cotton/ wool
cord/ rope/ yarn 280– 100 1920– present cotton/ wool
tubing 280– 85 1920– present cotton/ wool
tape/ strip 290 1920– present cotton/ wool
curtains
( theater, welding) 260– 65 1945– present cotton
Cementitious extrusion panels: 228 1965– 1977 portland cement
concrete- like products corrugated 220– 45 1930– present portland cement
flat 240– 50 1930– present portland cement
flexible 230– 50 1930– present portland cement
flexible perforated 230– 50 1930– present portland cement
laminated
( outer surface) 235– 50 1930– present portland cement
roof tiles 220– 30 1930��� present portland cement
clapboard and shingles:
clapboard 212– 15 1944– 1945 portland cement
siding shingles 212– 14 unknown– present portland cement
roofing shingles 220– 32 unknown– present portland cement
pipe 220– 15 1935– present portland cement
Paper products corrugated:
high temperature 290 1935– present sodium silicate
moderate temperature 235– 70 1910– present starch
indented 298 1935– present cotton and organic binder
millboard 280– 85 1925– present starch, lime, clay
Roofing felts smooth surface 210– 15 1910– present asphalt
mineral surface 210– 15 1910– present asphalt
shingles 221 1971– 1974 asphalt
pipeline 210 1920– present asphalt
Section 2
Provisions of the Standard
OSHA sets out several provisions employers must follow to comply with the asbestos standard. The agency has estab-lished
strict exposure limits and requirements for exposure assessment, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, “ competent
persons,” 4 regulated areas and hazard communication.
Permissible Exposure Limit ( PEL)
Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 0.1 f/ cc as an
8- hour time- weighted average ( TWA).
OSHA also established an excursion limit ( EL) for asbestos. Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to an
airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 1 f/ cc as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.
Exposure Assessments and Monitoring
Employers must assess all asbestos operations for their potential to generate airborne fibers. Employers must use expo-sure
monitoring data to assess employee exposures.
Initial Exposure Assessments
The designated competent person must assess exposures immediately before or as the operation begins to determine
expected exposures. The assessment must be done in time to comply with all standard requirements triggered by exposure
data or the lack of a negative exposure assessment5 and to provide the necessary information to ensure all control systems
are appropriate and work properly.
The initial exposure assessment must be based on the following:
the results of employee exposure monitoring; 6
all observations, information or calculations indicating employee exposure to asbestos, including any previous moni-toring;
and
the presumption that employees performing Class I asbestos work are exposed in excess of the PEL and EL until
exposure monitoring proves they are not.
Negative Exposure Assessments
For any specific asbestos job that trained employees perform, employers may show that exposure will be below the
PEL by performing an assessment and confirming it by the following:
“ objective data” demonstrating an asbestos- containing material or activities involving it cannot release airborne
fibers in excess of the PEL and EL;
“ historical data” from prior monitoring for similar asbestos jobs performed within 12 months of the current job and
obtained during work operations conducted under similar conditions;
employees’ training and experience were no more extensive for previous jobs than training for current employees;
and
data show a high degree of certainty that employee exposures will not exceed the PEL and EL under current condi-tions,
and current initial exposure monitoring used breathing zone air samples representing the 8- hour TWA and
30- minute short- term exposures for each employee in those operations most likely to result in exposure over the
PEL for the entire asbestos job.
5
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4. The standard defines competent person as one who can identify existing asbestos hazards in the workplace and who has the authority to correct
these hazards.
5. A negative exposure assessment demonstrates that employee exposure during an operation is consistently below the PEL.
6. Unless there has been a negative exposure assessment. In certain less hazardous operations, the employer may be exempt from monitoring. See
29 CFR 1926.1101 for specific requirements.
Exposure Monitoring
Employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples representing the 8- hour TWA and
30- minute short- term exposures for each employee.
Employers must take one or more samples representing full- shift exposure to determine the 8- hour TWA exposure in
each work area. To determine short- term employee exposures, employers must take one or more samples representing
30- minute exposures for the operations most likely to expose employees above the EL in each work area.
Employers must allow affected employees and their designated representatives to observe any employee exposure
monitoring. When observation requires entry into a regulated area, the employer must provide and require the use of
protective clothing and equipment.
Periodic Monitoring
For Class I and II jobs, employers must monitor each employee working in a regulated area daily, unless a negative
exposure assessment for the entire operation already exists and nothing has changed. When all employees use supplied- air
respirators operated in positive- pressure mode, however, employers may discontinue daily monitoring. Note that for
employees performing Class I work using control methods not recommended in the standard, employers must continue
daily monitoring, even when employees use supplied- air respirators.
For operations other than Class I and Class II, employers must monitor all work where exposures can possibly exceed
the PEL often enough to validate the exposure prediction.
If periodic monitoring shows employee exposures below the PEL and EL, the employer may discontinue monitoring
for the represented employees.
Additional Monitoring
Changes in processes, control equipment, level of personnel experience or work practices that could result in new or
additional exposures above the PEL or EL, regardless of a previous negative exposure assessment for a specific job,
require additional monitoring.
Medical Surveillance
Employers must provide a medical surveillance program for all employees:
who engage in Class I, II, or III work for a combined total of 30 or more days per year; or
are exposed at or above the PEL or EL; or
who wear negative- pressure respirators.
A licensed physician must perform or supervise all medical exams and procedures, provided at no cost to employees
and at a reasonable time and place.
Employers must make medical exams and consultations available to employees:
prior to employee assignment to an area where negative- pressure respirators are worn,
within 10 working days after the 30th day of exposure for employees assigned to an area where exposure is at or
above the PEL for 30 or more days per year,
at least annually thereafter, and
when the examining physician suggests them more frequently.
If the employee was examined within the past 12 months and that exam meets the criteria of the standard, another
medical exam is not required.
Content of Medical Exam
Medical exams must include the following:
a medical and work history,
completion of a standardized questionnaire with the initial exam ( See 29 CFR 1926.1101, Appendix D, Part 1) and
an abbreviated standardized questionnaire with annual exams ( See 29 CFR 1926.1101, Appendix D, Part 2),
6
a physical exam focusing on the pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems, and
any other exams or tests suggested by the examining physician.
Employers must provide the examining physician:
a copy of OSHA’s asbestos standard and its appendixes,
a description of the affected employee’s duties relating to exposure,
the employee’s representative exposure level or anticipated exposure level,
a description of any personal protective equipment and respiratory equipment used, and
information from previous medical exams not otherwise available.
It is the employer’s responsibility to obtain the physician’s written opinion, containing results of the medical exam and:
any medical conditions of the employee that increase health risks from asbestos exposure,
any recommended limitations on the employee or protective equipment used,
a statement that the employee has been informed of the results of the medical exam and any medical conditions
resulting from asbestos exposure, and
a statement that the employee has been informed of the increased risk of lung cancer from the combined effect of
smoking and asbestos exposure.
The physician must not reveal in the written opinion specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to occupational exposure
to asbestos. The employer must provide a copy of the physician’s written opinion to the affected employee within 30 days
after receipt.
Recordkeeping
Objective Data Records
Where employers use objective data to demonstrate that products made from or containing asbestos cannot release
fibers in concentrations at or above the PEL or EL, they must keep an accurate record for as long as it is relied on and
include:
the exempt product;
the source of the objective data;
the testing protocol, test results and analysis of the material for release of asbestos;
a description of the exempt operation and support data; and
other data relevant to operations, materials, processes or employee exposures.
Monitoring Records
Employers must keep records of all employee exposure monitoring for at least 30 years, including:
the date of measurement;
the operation involving asbestos exposure that was monitored;
sampling and analytical methods used and evidence of their accuracy;
the number, duration and results of samples taken;
the type of protective devices worn; and
the name, Social Security number, and exposures of the represented employees.
Employers must make exposure records available when requested by affected employees, former employees, their
designated representatives, and the commissioner of labor or her designee.
7
Medical Surveillance Records
Employers must keep all medical surveillance records for the duration of the employee’s employment plus 30 years,
including:
the employee’s name and social security number;
the employee’s medical exam results, including the medical history, questionnaires, responses, test results, and
physician’s recommendations;
the physician’s written opinions;
any employee medical complaints related to asbestos exposure; and
a copy of the information provided to the examining physician.
Employee medical surveillance records must be available to the subject employee, anyone having specific written
consent of that employee, and the commissioner of labor or her designee.
Other Recordkeeping Requirements
Employers must maintain all employee training records for one year beyond the last date of employment for each
employee.
Where data demonstrate presumed asbestos- containing materials do not contain asbestos, building owners or
employers must keep the records for as long as they rely on them. Building owners must maintain written notifications
on the identification, location and quantity of any asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials for
the duration of ownership and transfer the records to successive owners.
When an employer ceases to do business without a successor to keep the records, the employer must notify the director
of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH) at least 90 days prior to their disposal and transmit
them as requested.
Competent Person Requirements
On all construction sites with asbestos operations, employers must name a competent person, qualified and authorized
to ensure worker safety and health, as required by Subpart C, General Safety and Health Provisions for Construction
( 29 CFR 1926.20). Under these requirements for safety and health prevention programs, the competent person must fre-quently
inspect job sites, materials and equipment.
In addition, for Class I jobs the competent person must inspect onsite at least once during each work shift and upon
employee request. For Class II and III jobs, the competent person must inspect often enough to assess changing condi-tions
and upon employee request.
At worksites where employees perform Class I or II asbestos work, the competent person must supervise:
the setup and ensure the integrity of regulated areas, enclosures, or other containments by onsite inspection;
setup procedures to control entry to and exit from the enclosure or area;
all employee exposure monitoring, ensuring it is properly conducted;
use of required protective clothing and equipment by employees working within the enclosure or using glove bags; 7
proper setup, removal and performance of engineering controls, work practices and personal protective equipment
through onsite inspections;
employee use of hygiene facilities and required decontamination procedures; and
notification requirements.
8
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7. A plastic bag- like enclosure affixed around an asbestos- containing material, with glove- like appendages through which materials and tools
may be handled.
The competent person must attend a comprehensive training course for contractors and supervisors certified by the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) or a state- approved training provider or a course that is equivalent in length
and content.
For Class III and IV asbestos work, training must include a course equivalent in length and content to the 16- hour
“ Operations and Maintenance” course developed by the EPA for maintenance and custodial workers. 8
Regulated Areas
A regulated area is an area marked off to show where employees work with asbestos, including any adjoining area( s)
where debris and waste from asbestos work accumulates or where airborne concentrations of asbestos exceed or can possi-bly
exceed the PEL. All Class I, II, and III asbestos work or any other operations where airborne asbestos exceeds the PEL
must be done within regulated areas. Only authorized personnel9 may enter. The designated competent person supervises
all asbestos work performed in the area. ( See the competent person requirements previously discussed in this section.)
Employers must mark off the regulated area in any manner that minimizes the number of people within the area and
protects people outside the area from exposure to airborne asbestos. Critical barriers10 or negative- pressure enclosures
may mark off the regulated area.
Posted warning signs demarcating the area must be easily readable and understandable. The signs must bear the fol-lowing
information:
Employers must supply a respirator to all people entering regulated areas. ( See respiratory protection requirements in
Section 3.) Employees must not eat, drink, smoke, chew tobacco or gum, or apply cosmetics in regulated areas.
An employer performing work in a regulated area must inform other employers onsite of the:
nature of the work,
regulated area requirements, and
measures taken to protect onsite employees.
The contractor creating or controlling the source of asbestos contamination must abate the hazards. All employers with
employees working near regulated areas must assess each day the enclosure’s integrity or the effectiveness of control
methods to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating.
A general contractor on a construction project must oversee all asbestos work, even though he or she may not be the
designated competent person. As supervisor of the entire project, the general contractor determines whether asbestos con-tractors
comply with the standard and ensures they correct any problems.
9
DANGER
ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORY AND PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA
__________
28. For more specific information, see 40 CFR 763.92( a)( 2).
29. Any person permitted by the employer and required by work duties to be present in regulated areas.
10. Plastic sheeting placed over all openings to the work area to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating to an adjacent area.
Communication of Hazards
Notification Requirements
The communication of asbestos hazards is vital to prevent further overexposure. Most asbestos- related construction
involves previously installed building materials. Building owners often are the only or best source of information con-cerning
them. The owners and employers of potentially exposed employees have specific duties under the standard.
Before beginning work, building owners must identify at the worksite all thermal system insulation, sprayed or
troweled- on surfacing materials in buildings, and resilient flooring material installed before 1981 and presumed asbestos-containing
material ( PACM). Building owners also must notify, in writing, the following people of the presence, locations
and quantity of asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials:
prospective employers applying or bidding for work in or adjacent to areas containing asbestos,
the owner’s employees who work in or nearby these areas,
other employers on multi- employer worksites with employees working in or adjacent to the area, and
tenants who will occupy the areas containing such materials.
All employers discovering asbestos- containing materials on a worksite must notify the building owner and other
employers onsite within 24 hours of its presence, location and quantity. Employers also must inform building owners and
employees working in nearby areas of the precautions taken to confine airborne asbestos. Within 10 days of project com-pletion,
employers must inform building owners and other employers onsite of the current locations and quantity of
remaining asbestos- containing materials and any final monitoring results.
At any time, employers or building owners may demonstrate that a presumed asbestos- containing material does not
contain asbestos by inspecting the material ( conducted according to the requirements of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act ( AHERA) ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E)) and by performing tests to prove asbestos is not present. 11
Employers do not have to inform employees of the presence of asbestos- free building materials; however, employers
must retain the information, data and analysis supporting the determination. ( See recordkeeping requirements in Section 1
of this publication for more specific information.)
Signs
At the entrance to mechanical rooms or areas containing thermal system insulation and surfacing asbestos- containing
materials, the building owner must post signs identifying the material present, its specific location and appropriate work
practices that ensure it is not disturbed.
Employers must post warning signs in regulated areas to inform employees of the dangers and necessary protective
steps to take before entering. ( See the regulated area requirements elsewhere in this publication.)
Labels
Employers must attach warning labels to all products and containers of asbestos, including waste containers, and all
installed asbestos products, when possible. Labels must be printed in large, bold letters on a contrasting background and
used in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard ( 29 CFR 1910.1200). All labels must contain a warn-ing
statement against breathing asbestos fibers and contain the following legend:
10
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11. See 29 CFR 1926.1101 for specific testing requirements.
DANGER
CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS
AVOID CREATING DUST
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
Labels are not required where:
asbestos is present in concentrations less than 1 percent by weight, or
a bonding agent, coating or binder has altered asbestos fibers, prohibiting the release of airborne asbestos over the
PEL or EL during reasonable use, handling, storage, disposal, processing or transportation.
When building owners or employers identify previously installed asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials,
labels or signs must be attached or posted to inform employees which materials contain asbestos. Attached labels must be
clearly noticeable and readable.
Employee Information and Training
General Training Requirements
Employers must, at no cost to employees, provide a training program for all employees installing and handling
asbestos- containing products and for employees performing Class I through IV asbestos operations. Employees must
receive training prior to or at initial assignment and at least annually thereafter.
Training courses must be easily understandable for employees and must inform them of:
ways to recognize asbestos;
the adverse health effects of asbestos exposure;
the relationship between smoking and asbestos in causing lung cancer;
operations that could result in asbestos exposure and the importance of protective controls to minimize exposure;
the purpose, proper use, fitting instruction and limitations of respirators;
the appropriate work practices for performing asbestos jobs and medical surveillance program requirements;
the contents of the standard;
the names, addresses and phone numbers of public health organizations that provide information and materials or
conduct smoking cessation programs; and
sign and label requirements and the meaning of legends on them.
The employer also must provide, at no cost to employees, written materials relating to employee training and self- help
smoking cessation programs.
Additional Training Based on Work Class
For Class I operations and Class II operations that require the use of critical barriers ( or equivalent isolation methods)
or negative pressure enclosures, training must be equivalent in curriculum, method and length to the EPA Model
Accreditation Plan ( MAP) asbestos abatement worker training ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E, Appendix C). For employees
performing Class II operations involving one generic category of building materials containing asbestos ( e. g., roofing,
flooring or siding materials or transite panels), training may be covered in an eight- hour course that includes hands- on
experience.
For Class III operations, training must be equivalent in curriculum and method to the 16- hour operations and mainte-nance
course developed by EPA for maintenance and custodial workers whose work disturbs asbestos- containing materials
( See 40 CFR 763.92). The course must include hands- on training on proper respirator use and work practices.
For Class IV operations, training must be equivalent in curriculum and method to EPA awareness training. 12 Training
must focus on the locations of asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials and the ways to recognize
damage and deterioration and avoid exposure. The course must be at least two hours in length.
Employers must provide the commissioner of labor or her designee all information and training materials as requested.
11
__________
12. See 29 CFR 1926.1101 for more information.
Section 3
Methods of Compliance
Control Measures
For all covered work, employers must use the following control methods to comply with the PEL and EL:
local exhaust ventilation equipped with HEPA filter13 dust collection systems,
enclosure or isolation of processes producing asbestos dust,
ventilation of the regulated area to move contaminated air away from the employees’ breathing zone and toward a
filtration or collection device equipped with a HEPA filter, and
feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce exposure to the lowest possible levels, supplemented by
respirators to reach the PEL or EL or lower.
Employers must use the following engineering controls and work practices for all operations regardless of exposure
levels:
vacuum cleaners equipped with HEPA filters to collect all asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing
debris and dust;
wet methods or wetting agents to control employee exposures, except when infeasible ( e. g., due to the creation of
electrical hazards, equipment malfunction and slipping hazards); and
prompt cleanup and disposal in leak- tight containers of asbestos- contaminated wastes and debris.
The following work practices and engineering controls are prohibited for all asbestos- related work or work that dis-turbs
asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials, regardless of measured exposure levels or the results of initial
exposure assessments:
high- speed abrasive disc saws not equipped with a point- of- cut ventilator or enclosure with HEPA- filtered exhaust
air;
compressed air to remove asbestos or asbestos- containing materials, unless the compressed air is used with an
enclosed ventilation system;
dry sweeping, shoveling or other dry cleanup of dust and debris; and
employee rotation to reduce exposure.
In addition, OSHA’s asbestos standard established specific requirements for each class of asbestos work in construction.
Class I Work
A designated competent person must supervise all Class I work, including installing and operating the control system.
Employers must place critical barriers over all openings to regulated areas or use another barrier or isolation method to
prevent airborne asbestos from migrating for:
all Class I jobs removing more than 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or surfacing material,
all other Class I jobs without a negative exposure assessment, and
where employees are working in areas adjacent to a Class I regulated area.
Otherwise, employers must perform perimeter area surveillance during each work shift. No asbestos dust should be
visible. Perimeter monitoring must show that clearance levels are met ( as contained in 40 CFR 763, Subpart E of the
“ EPA Asbestos in Schools” rule) or that perimeter area levels are no greater than background levels.
12
__________
13. High- efficiency particulate air ( HEPA) filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of all monodispersed particles of 0.3
micrometers in diameter.
For all Class I jobs:
HVAC systems must be isolated in the regulated area by sealing with a double layer of 6 mil plastic or the equivalent,
impermeable dropcloths must be placed on surfaces beneath all removal activity,
all objects within the regulated area must be covered with secured impermeable dropcloths or plastic sheeting, and
for jobs without a negative exposure assessment or where exposure monitoring shows the PEL is exceeded, employ-ers
must ventilate the regulated area to move the contaminated air away from the employee breathing zone and
toward a HEPA filtration or collection device.
In addition, employees performing Class I work must use one or more of the following control methods. ( For the speci-fications,
limitations and recommended work practices of these required control methods, refer to Occupational Exposure
to Asbestos, 29 CFR 1926.1101.)
negative- pressure enclosure systems must be used where the configuration of the work area makes it impossible to
erect the enclosure,
glove bag systems can be used to remove asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials from
straight runs of piping,
glove bag systems can be used for piping bends if manufactured for that purpose,
negative- pressure glove bag systems can be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials
from piping,
negative- pressure glove box systems can be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials
from pipe runs,
water spray process systems may be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials from cold-line
piping if employees carrying out the process have completed a 40- hour training course on its use in addition to
training required for all employees performing Class I work, or
a small walk- in enclosure that accommodates no more than two people ( mini- enclosure) may be used if the distur-bance
or removal can be completely contained by the enclosure.
Employers may use different or modified engineering and work practice controls if the following provisions are met:
the control method encloses, contains or isolates the process or source of airborne asbestos dust, or captures and
redirects the dust before it enters into the employees’ breathing zone;
a certified industrial hygienist or licensed professional engineer qualified as a project designer evaluates the work
area, the projected work practices and the engineering controls and certifies, in writing, that based on evaluations
and data the planned control method adequately reduces direct and indirect employee exposure to or below the PEL
under worst- case conditions. The planned control method also must prevent asbestos contamination outside the reg-ulated
area, as measured by sampling meeting the requirements of EPA’s “ Asbestos in Schools” rule or perimeter
monitoring; and
before using alternative methods to remove more than 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or
surfacing material, employers must send a copy of the evaluation and certification to the N. C. Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health Division.
Class II Work
The competent person must supervise all Class II work. Employers must use critical barriers over all openings to the
regulated area or another barrier or isolation method to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating for:
all indoor Class II jobs without a negative exposure assessment,
where changing conditions indicate exposure above the PEL, or
where asbestos- containing materials are not removed substantially intact.
13
Otherwise, employers must perform perimeter area monitoring to verify that the barrier works properly. Impermeable
dropcloths must be placed on all surfaces beneath removal activities.
All Class II asbestos work can use the same work practices and requirements as Class I asbestos jobs. Alternatively,
Class II work can be performed more easily using simple work practices set out in the standard for specific jobs.
For removing vinyl and asphalt flooring materials containing asbestos or installed in buildings constructed before 1981
and not verified as asbestos- free, employers must ensure that employees:
do not sand flooring or its backing,
do not rip up resilient sheeting,
do not dry sweep,
do not use mechanical chipping unless performed in a negative- pressure enclosure,
use vacuums equipped with HEPA filters to clean floors,
use wet methods when removing resilient sheeting by cutting,
use wet methods to scrape residual adhesives and backing,
remove tiles intact, unless impossible,
may omit wetting when tiles are heated and removed intact, and
assume resilient flooring materials, including associated mastic and backing, are asbestos- containing, unless an
industrial hygienist determines them to be asbestos- free.
To remove asbestos- containing roofing materials, employers must ensure that employees:
remove them intact;
use wet methods when possible;
continuously mist cutting machines during use, unless the competent person determines misting to be unsafe;
immediately HEPA vacuum all loose dust along the cut;
lower as soon as possible or by the end of the work shift any unwrapped or unbagged roofing material to the ground
via a covered, dust- tight chute, crane, or hoist;
transfer unwrapped materials to a closed receptacle to prevent dispersing the dust when lowered; and
isolate roof- level heating and ventilation air intake sources or shut down the ventilation system.
When removing cementitious asbestos- containing siding and shingles or transite panels, employers must ensure that
employees:
do not cut, abrade or break siding, shingles or transite panels unless methods less likely to result in asbestos fiber
release cannot be used;
spray each panel or shingle with amended water14 before removing;
lower to the ground any unwrapped or unbagged panels or shingles via a covered dust- tight chute, crane or hoist, or
place them in an impervious waste bag or wrap them in plastic sheeting, as soon as possible or by the end of the
work shift; and
cut nails with flat, sharp instruments.
When removing asbestos- containing gaskets, employers must ensure that employees:
remove gaskets within glove bags if they are visibly deteriorated and unlikely to be removed intact,
thoroughly wet the gaskets with amended water prior to removing,
immediately place the wet gaskets in a disposal container, and
scrape using wet methods to remove residue.
14
__________
14. Water to which surfactant ( a wetting agent) has been added to increase the ability of the liquid to penetrate and asbestos- containing material.
For removal of any other Class II asbestos- containing material, employers must ensure employees:
do not cut, abrade or break the material unless methods less likely to result in asbestos fiber release cannot be used,
thoroughly wet the material with amended water before and during removal,
remove the material intact, if possible, and
immediately bag or wrap removed asbestos- containing materials or keep them wet until transferred to a closed
receptacle at the end of the work shift.
Employers may use different or modified engineering and work practice controls if:
they can demonstrate by employee exposure data during the use of such methods and under similar conditions that
employee exposure will not exceed the PEL under any anticipated circumstances, or
the competent person evaluates the work area, the projected work practices and the engineering controls and certifies
in writing that they will reduce all employee exposure to below the PEL under expected conditions. The evaluation
must be based on exposure data for conditions closely resembling those of the current job and for employees with
equivalent training and experience.
Class III Work
Employers must use wet methods and local exhaust ventilation, when feasible, during Class III work. Where drilling,
cutting, abrading, sanding, chipping, breaking or sawing thermal system insulation or surfacing materials occurs, employ-ers
must use impermeable dropcloths as well as mini- enclosures, glove bag systems or other effective isolation methods.
Where no negative exposure assessment exists or monitoring shows the PEL is exceeded, employers must contain the
area with impermeable dropcloths and plastic barriers or other isolation methods and ensure that employees wear respira-tors.
( See also respirator requirements elsewhere in this section.)
Class IV Work
Employees conducting Class IV asbestos work must have attended an asbestos awareness training program. Employees
must use wet methods and HEPA vacuums to promptly clean asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing debris.
When cleaning debris and waste in regulated areas, employees must wear respirators. In areas where thermal system insu-lation
or surfacing material is present, employees must assume that all waste and debris contain asbestos.
Respiratory Protection
Respirators must be used during
all Class I asbestos jobs;
all Class II work where an asbestos- containing material is not removed substantially intact;
all Class II and III work not using wet methods;
all Class II and III work without a negative exposure assessment;
all Class III jobs where thermal system insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing
material is cut, abraded or broken;
all Class IV work within a regulated area where respirators are required;
all work where employees are exposed above the PEL or EL; and
emergencies.
Employers must provide respirators at no cost to employees, selecting the appropriate type from among those approved
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH).
15
For all employees performing Class I work in regulated areas and for jobs without a negative exposure assessment,
employers must provide full- facepiece supplied- air respirators operated in pressure- demand mode and equipped with an
auxiliary positive- pressure, self- contained breathing apparatus. 15
Employers must provide half- mask purifying respirators, other than disposable respirators, equipped with high-efficiency
filters for Class II and III asbestos jobs without a negative exposure assessment and for Class III jobs where
work disturbs thermal system insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials.
If a particular job is not covered above and exposures are above the PEL or EL, the asbestos standard, Occupational
Exposure to Asbestos, 29 CFR 1926.1101, contains a table specifying types of respirators to use.
Employers must institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with Respiratory Protection, 29 CFR 1910.134
( b)–( d) ( except ( d)( 1)( iii)) and ( f) through ( m). Employers must permit employees using filter respirators to change the fil-ter
elements when breathing resistance increases; employers must maintain an adequate supply of filters for this purpose.
Employers must permit employees wearing respirators to leave work areas to wash their faces and respirator facepieces as
necessary to prevent skin irritation.
Employers must ensure that the respirators issued have the least possible facepiece leakage and fit properly. For
employees wearing negative- pressure respirators, employers must perform either quantitative or qualitative face fit tests
with the initial fitting and at least every 12 months following. The qualitative fit tests can be used only for fit testing half-mask
respirators where they are permitted or for full- facepiece air- purifying respirators where they are worn at levels
where half- facepiece air- purifying respirators are permitted. Employers must conduct qualitative and quantitative fit tests
in accordance with the Respiratory Protection Standard ( 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix A) and use the tests to select face-pieces
that provide the required protection. ( See Table 2.)
Table 2
Assigned Protection Factors
16
__________
15. Unless the competent person determines wearing such a respirator is not feasible, in which case a tight- fitting powered air- purifying respirator
may be worn.
Type of Respirator1,2
Air- purifying Respirator
Powered Air- purifying Respirator
Supplied- air Respirator or Airline Respirator
Demand mode
Continuous flow mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus ( SCBA)
Demand mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
( e. g., open/ closed circuit)
Half Mask
103
50
10
50
50
10
–
Full Facepiece
50
1,000
50
1,000
1,000
50
10,000
Notes:
1. Employers may select respirators assigned for use in higher workplace concentrations of a
hazardous substance for use at lower concentrations of that substance, or when required
respirator use is independent of concentration.
2. The assigned protection factors in this table are only effective when the employer implements
a continuing effective respirator program as required by the respiratory protection standard,
29 CFR 1910.134, including training, fit testing, maintenance, and use requirements.
3. Employers may not select or use filtering facepieces to protect against asbestos fibers.
Employers must not assign any employee, who based on the most recent physical exam and the examining physician’s
recommendations would be unable to function normally, to tasks requiring respirator use. Employers must assign such
employees to other jobs or give them the opportunity to transfer to different positions in the same geographical area and
with the same seniority, status, pay rate and job benefits as before transferring, if such positions are available.
Protective Clothing
Employers must provide and require the use of protective clothing, such as coveralls or similar whole- body clothing,
head coverings, gloves, and foot coverings, for:
any employee exposed to airborne asbestos exceeding the PEL or EL,
work without a negative exposure assessment, or
any employee performing Class I work involving the removal of over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system
insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials.
Employers must launder contaminated clothing to prevent the release of airborne asbestos in excess of the PEL or EL.
Any employer who gives contaminated clothing to another person for laundering must inform him or her of the contami-nation.
Employers must transport contaminated clothing in sealed, impermeable bags or other closed impermeable containers
bearing appropriate labels. ( See the Communication of Hazards in Section 2 of this publication for label requirements.)
The competent person must examine employee worksuits at least once per workshift for rips or tears. Rips or tears
found while the employee is working must be mended immediately or else the worksuits must be replaced immediately.
Hygiene Facilities
Decontamination Requirements for Class I Asbestos Work
For employees performing Class I asbestos jobs involving over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation
or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials, employers must create a decontamination
area adjacent to and connected with the regulated area. Employees must enter and exit the regulated area through the
decontamination area.
The decontamination area must be composed of an equipment room, shower area and clean room in series. The
equipment room must be supplied with impermeable, labeled bags and containers to store and dispose of contaminated
protective equipment. Shower facilities must be adjacent to both the equipment and clean rooms, unless work is per-formed
outdoors or this arrangement is impractical. If so, employers must ensure that employees remove asbestos conta-mination
from their worksuits in the equipment room using a HEPA vacuum before proceeding to a shower nonadjacent
to the work area; or remove their contaminated worksuits in the equipment room, don clean worksuits and proceed to a
shower nonadjacent to the work area.
The clean room must have a locker or appropriate storage container for each employee unless work is performed out-doors
or this arrangement is not possible. In such a case, employees may clean protective clothing with a portable HEPA
vacuum before leaving the regulated area. Employees then must change into “ street clothing” in clean change areas.
Before entering the regulated area, employees must enter the decontamination area through the clean room; remove
and deposit street clothing within a provided locker; and put on protective clothing and respiratory protection before
leaving the clean area. To enter the regulated area, employees must pass through the equipment room.
Before exiting the regulated area, employees must remove all gross contamination and debris and then remove their
protective clothing in the equipment room, depositing the clothing in labeled, impermeable bags or containers. Employees
must shower before entering the clean room to change into street clothing.
When employees consume food or beverages at the Class I worksite, employers must provide lunch areas with
airborne asbestos levels below the PEL and EL.
17
Decontamination Requirements for Other Class I and Class II and III Asbestos Work
Without a Negative Exposure Assessment and Where Exposures Exceed the PEL
Employers must establish an equipment area adjacent to the regulated area for the decontamination of employees and
their equipment. The area must be covered by an impermeable dropcloth on the floor or horizontal work surface and must
be large enough to accommodate equipment cleaning and personal protective equipment removal without spreading conta-mination
beyond the area. Before removing work clothing, employees must clean it with a HEPA vacuum. All equipment
and the surfaces of containers filled with asbestos- containing materials must be cleaned prior to removal. Employers must
ensure employees enter and exit the regulated area through the equipment area.
Figure 1
Decontamination Area Arrangement
Decontamination Requirements for Class IV Work
Employers must ensure employees performing Class IV work within a regulated area comply with the hygiene prac-tices
required of employees performing work with higher classifications in that regulated area. Otherwise, employees
cleaning up thermal system insulation or asbestos- containing debris must use decontamination facilities required for Class
II and III work where exposure exceeds the PEL or no negative exposure assessment exists.
Smoking
Employers must ensure that employees performing any class of asbestos work do not smoke in any work area with
asbestos exposure.
18
Entrance
Clean
Room
Shower
Room
Equipment
Room
Loading
Area
Work
Area
HEPA
Exhaust
System
Loading personnel
to wear respirators
Inside workers
never exit
through loading
area to outside
Air Lock
Plastic
Barriers
4" min.
4" min.
Sealed 12" min.
up wall
and
across
top
Top View
Housekeeping
Asbestos waste, scrap, debris, bags, containers, equipment and contaminated clothing consigned for disposal must be
collected and disposed of in sealed, labeled, impermeable bags or other closed, labeled impermeable containers.
Employees must use HEPA- filtered vacuuming equipment and must empty it so as to minimize asbestos reentry into the
workplace.
All vinyl and asphalt flooring material must remain intact unless the building owner demonstrates that the flooring
does not contain asbestos. Sanding flooring material is prohibited. Employees stripping finishes must use wet methods
and low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 revolutions per minute. Burnishing or dry buffing may be done only on
flooring with enough finish that the pad cannot contact the flooring material. Employees must not dust, sweep or vacuum
without a HEPA filter in an area containing thermal system insulation or surfacing material or visibly deteriorated
asbestos- containing materials. Employees must promptly clean and dispose of dust and debris in leak- tight containers.
19
Part II
Asbestos Standard for
General Industry
Section 1
Important Facts about Asbestos
Introduction
Asbestos is a widely used, mineral- based material that is resistant to heat and corrosive chemicals. Depending on the
chemical composition, fibers may range in texture from coarse to silky. The properties that make asbestos fibers so valu-able
to industry are its high- tensile strength, flexibility, heat and chemical resistance, and good frictional properties. ( See
Table 1 for a partial list of asbestos- containing products and building materials that have been used during the last 100
years in the United States.)
Asbestos fibers enter the body by inhalation of airborne particles or by ingestion and can become embedded in the tis-sues
of the respiratory or digestive systems. Years of exposure to asbestos can cause numerous disabling or fatal diseases.
Among these diseases are asbestosis, an emphysema- like condition; lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that
spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes covering the lungs and body organs; and gastrointestinal cancer.
Since 1972, however, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA) has regulated asbestos exposure in
general industry, thereby causing a significant decline in exposures resulting from the use of asbestos- containing materi-als.
The revised standard continues to protect workers, in general, who are exposed to asbestos- containing materials but
now includes provisions that apply to workers performing brake and clutch repair and to those doing housekeeping in
buildings and facilities where asbestos- containing materials exist.
This portion of the booklet contains an overview of OSHA’s worker protection requirements for exposure to asbestos
in general industry and describes the steps an employer must take to reduce the levels of asbestos in the workplace. The
revised rule lowers the permissible exposure limit ( PEL), contains mandatory methods of control for brake and clutch
repairs, and provides training provisions for maintenance and custodial workers. ( OSHA has developed a separate stan-dard
for asbestos in the construction industry; see Part I of this guide.)
Scope and Application
OSHA’s revised standards for asbestos were developed in recognition of the vastly different conditions prevailing in
the workplaces for general industry ( 29 Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) Part 1910.1001), for the shipyard industry ( 29
CFR Part 1915), and for the construction industry ( 29 CFR Part 1926.1101). The information in this section applies to all
occupational exposure to asbestos in general industry.
More than 685,000 workers in general industry, mostly in auto repair, are affected by the new standard. OSHA esti-mates,
conservatively, that about 42 additional cancer deaths per year will be avoided in all industries, in addition to the
lives saved of those peripherally exposed to asbestos and the lives saved by earlier OSHA standards.
21
Section 2
Provisions of the Standard
OSHA sets out several provisions employers must follow to comply with the asbestos standard. The agency has estab-lished
strict exposure limits and guidelines for exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, regulated areas
and communication of hazards.
Permissible Exposure Limits ( PELs)
Time- Weighted Average ( TWA)— The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration
of asbestos in excess of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air ( 0.1 f/ cc) as averaged over an 8- hour day.
Excursion Limit ( EL)— The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of
asbestos in excess of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter of air ( 1 f/ cc) as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.
OSHA has adopted the term “ excursion limit” to refer to the short- term permissible exposure limit to be consistent
with the terminology used by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ( ACGIH).
Exposure Monitoring
Except for brake and clutch repair where a “ preferred” control method is used, each employer who has a workplace or
work operation covered by this standard must assess all asbestos operations for their potential to generate airborne fibers.
Where exposure may exceed the PEL, employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples
representing the 8- hour TWA and 30- minute EL for each employee.
Initial monitoring also must be performed for all employees who are, or may reasonably be expected to be, exposed
to airborne concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/ or EL unless: ( 1) monitoring results conducted after
March 31, 1992, meet all other standard- related requirements; and ( 2) the collected data demonstrate that asbestos is not
capable of being released in airborne concentrations at or above the PEL and/ or EL when materials are being processed,
use, or handled. If initial monitoring indicates that exposures are above the PEL and/ or EL, periodic monitoring must be
conducted at intervals no greater than every six months. If either initial or periodic monitoring statistically indicates that
employee exposures are below the PEL and/ or EL, the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees
whose exposures are represented by such monitoring.
The employer must reinitiate monitoring whenever there has been a change in the production, process, control equip-ment,
personnel or work practices that may result in new or additional exposures to asbestos above the PEL and/ or EL, or
when the employer has reason to suspect that a change may result in new or additional exposures above the PEL and/ or EL.
Affected employees and their representatives must be allowed to observe monitoring and must be notified in writing,
either individually or by posting results in an accessible location within 15 working days after the receipt of the results
of monitoring. This written notification must contain the corrective action being taken by the employer to reduce
employee exposure to asbestos on or below the PEL and/ or EL wherever monitoring results indicate that the PEL and/ or
EL has been exceeded. If monitoring is being observed in a regulated area, the observer must be provided proper protec-tive
clothing and equipment.
Medical Surveillance
The employer must institute a medical surveillance program for all employees who are or will be exposed to airborne
concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/ or EL. All medical examinations and procedures must be performed by
or under the supervision of a licensed physician. Such exams must occur at a reasonable time and place and must be
provided at no cost to the employee. At a minimum, such examinations must include a medical and work history; a com-plete
physical examination with emphasis on the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system and the digestive tract; a
chest X- ray; pulmonary function tests; respiratory disease standardized questionnaire as set forth in 29 CFR 1910.1001
Appendix D, Part 1, of the standard; and any additional tests deemed appropriate by the examining physician. These
examinations must be made available annually. Chest roentgenograms must be conducted in accordance with Table 3.
22
Table 3
Frequency of Chest Roentgenogram
Also, an abbreviated standardized questionnaire ( see 29 CFR Part 1910.1001, Appendix D, Part 2, of the standard)
must also be administered to the employee as part of the periodic ( annual) medical examination. Upon termination of
employment, the employer must provide a termination of employment medical exam to the employee within 30 calendar
days before or after the date of termination.
If adequate records exist that show the employee has been examined in accordance with the standard within the past
year, no additional medical examination is required. A pre- employment medical examination may not be used to meet
this requirement unless the employer pays for it.
The employer must provide the examining physician with a copy of the standard and Appendixes D and E; a descrip-tion
of the affected employee’s duties as they relate to his or her asbestos exposure; the employee’s actual or anticipated
exposure level; a description of any personal protective and respiratory equipment used or to be used; and information
from previous medical examinations. Once the physician has completed the exam, the employer must obtain a written
signed opinion from the physician. It must contain the results of the medical examination and the physician’s opinion as
to whether the employee has any detailed medical conditions that would place the employee at an increased risk from
exposure to asbestos, any recommended limitations on the employee or upon the use of personal protective equipment
such as respirators, a statement that the employee has been informed by the physician of the results of the examination,
and a statement that the employee has been informed by the physician of the increased risk of lung cancer attributable to
the combined effect of smoking and asbestos exposure.
The physician is not to reveal in the written opinion given to the employer specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to
occupational exposure to asbestos. The employer must provide a copy of the physician’s written opinion to the affected
employee within 30 days of its receipt.
Recordkeeping
The employer must keep an accurate record of all exposure measurements taken to monitor employee exposure to
asbestos. This record must be kept for 30 years. The employer also must maintain an accurate record for each employee
subject to medical surveillance.
This record must be maintained for the duration of employment plus 30 years. In addition, the employer must maintain
all employee training records for one year beyond the last date of employment by the employee.
All records must be made available to the commissioner of labor, affected employees, former employees and designat-ed
representatives in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1910.1020. When the employer ceases to do business and there is no
successor to receive the records for the prescribed period, the employer must notify the director of NIOSH at least 90
days prior to the disposal of records.
Also, if handling, using or processing any products made from or containing asbestos are exempted, the employer must
establish and maintain accurate records of objective data that exempt these products. These records must be kept for the
duration of the employer’s reliance upon the data.
Building and facility owners also are required to maintain records about the presence, location and quantity of
asbestos- containing material and presumed asbestos- containing material in the building or facility. These records must be
kept for the duration of ownership and must be transferred to the successive owners.
23
Years since
first exposure Age of employee
15 to 35 35+ to 45 45+
0 to 10 Every 5 years Every 5 years Every 5 years
10+ Every 5 years Every 2 years Every 1 year
Regulated Areas
The employer must establish and set apart a regulated area wherever airborne concentrations of asbestos and/ or pre-sumed
asbestos- containing material exceed the PEL and/ or EL. Only authorized personnel may enter regulated areas. All
people entering a regulated area must be supplied with and are required to use an appropriate respirator.
No smoking, eating, drinking, chewing tobacco or gum, or applying cosmetics is permitted in regulated areas.
Warning signs must be provided and displayed at each regulated area and must be posted at all approaches to regulated
areas. Where necessary, signs must bear pictures or graphics, or be written in appropriate language so that all employees
understand them. These signs must bear the following information:
In addition, warning labels must be affixed to all asbestos products ( raw materials, mixtures, scrap) and to all
containers of asbestos products, including waste containers, that may be in the workplace. The labels must comply
with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1200( j) of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard and must include the
following information:
Labels or material safety data sheets ( MSDSs) are not required where asbestos fibers have been modified by a bonding
agent, coating, binder or other materials, if the manufacturer can demonstrate that during handling, storing, disposing,
processing or transporting no airborne concentrations of fibers of asbestos in excess of PEL and/ or EL will be released or
if asbestos is present in a product in a concentration of less than 1 percent.
Communication of Hazards
Building/ Facility Owners Duties
The communication of asbestos hazards is vital. Employees engaged in housekeeping activities in public and
commercial buildings with installed asbestos- containing materials may be exposed to asbestos fibers. Building owners are
often the only and/ or best source of information concerning the presence of previously installed asbestos- containing
building materials. The standard requires building owners and employers of potentially exposed employees to institute the
following practices:
In buildings built before 1980, treat thermal system insulation and sprayed- on and troweled- on surfacing materials
as asbestos- containing materials, unless properly analyzed and found not to contain more than 1 percent asbestos.
Train employees who may come in contact with asbestos- containing materials to deal safely with them.
Treat asphalt and vinyl flooring materials installed no later than 1980 as asbestos- containing, unless properly
analyzed and found to contain no more than 1 percent asbestos.
24
DANGER
ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORY AND PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA
DANGER
CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS
AVOID CREATING DUST
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
Inform employers of employees performing housekeeping activities of the presence and location of asbestos-containing
materials and presumed asbestos- containing materials that may have contaminated the area.
Keep records of the presence, location and quantity of asbestos- containing materials and presumed asbestos- containing
materials present in the building for the duration of ownership and transfer these records to a successive owner.
Information and Training
Employers must develop a training program for all employees who are exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos
at or above the PEL and/ or EL. Training must be provided prior to or at the time of initial assignment and at least yearly
thereafter. The training program must inform employees about ways in which they can safeguard their health.
In addition, employers must provide an awareness training course for employees who do housekeeping operations in
facilities where asbestos- containing materials or presumed asbestos- containing materials are present. The elements of the
course must include the health effects of asbestos; locations; signs of damage and deterioration of asbestos- containing
materials and presumed asbestos- containing materials; the proper response to fiber release episodes; and where the house-keeping
requirements are found in the standard. This training must be held annually and conducted so that all employees
understand it. Also, all training materials must be available to the employees without cost and, upon request, to the com-missioner
of labor or her designee.
25
Section 3
Methods of Compliance
Control Methods
To the extent feasible, engineering and work practice controls must be used to reduce and maintain employee exposure
at or below the PEL and/ or EL. The standard, therefore, requires the employer to institute the following measures:
Design, construct, install and maintain local exhaust ventilation and dust collection systems according to the American
National Standard Fundamentals Governing the Design and Operation of Local Exhaust Systems, ANSI Z9.2- 1979.
Provide a local exhaust ventilation system for all hand- operated and power- operated tools such as saws, scorers,
abrasive wheels, and drills that produce or release fibers of asbestos.
Handle, mix, apply, remove, cut, score or work asbestos in a wet state to prevent employee exposure.
Do not remove cement, mortar, coating, grout, plaster or similar materials containing asbestos from bags, cartons or
other containers that are being shipped without wetting, enclosing or ventilating them.
Do not sand floors containing asbestos.
Do not use compressed air to remove asbestos or materials containing asbestos unless the compressed air is used in
conjunction with a ventilation system designed to capture the dust cloud created by the compressed air.
Use a negative- pressure enclosure/ HEPA1 vacuum system or a low- pressure/ wet cleaning method during automotive
brake and clutch inspection, disassembly, repair, and assembly operations. An equivalent method also can be used if
the employer demonstrates that the method being used achieves the required exposure reductions. ( See 29 CFR Part
1910.1001 Appendix F, Part C, of the standard.)
Where no more than five pairs of brakes or five clutches are inspected, disassembled, repaired or assembled weekly,
the employer may use the control methods or work practices as set forth in 29 CFR Part 1910.1001 Appendix F,
Paragraph D, of the standard.
Where engineering and work practice controls have been instituted but are insufficient to reduce exposure to the
required level, the employer must supplement them by using respiratory protection. Where the PEL and/ or EL is
exceeded, the employer must establish and implement a written program to reduce employee exposure to or below
the PEL and to or below the EL by means of engineering and work practice controls and by the use of respirators
where required and permitted.
Written plans for the program must be available upon request to the commissioner of labor or his designee, and
employees and their representatives. These plans must be reviewed and updated, as necessary, to reflect significant
changes in the compliance program.
Employee rotation cannot be used as a means of compliance with the PEL and/ or the EL.
Respiratory Protection
Respirators must be selected, provided and used in the following circumstances:
while feasible engineering and work practice controls are being installed or implemented;
during maintenance and repair activities, or other activities where engineering and work practice controls are not
feasible;
in work situations where feasible engineering and work practice controls are not yet sufficient to reduce exposure to
or below the PEL and/ or EL; and
in emergencies.
26
__________
1. High- efficiency particulate air ( HEPA) filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of all monodispersed particles of 0.3
micrometer in diameter.
Respirators must be selected from among those approved by NIOSH under the provisions of Title 42, CFR Part 84.
The employer must also provide a powered, air- purifying respirator in lieu of any negative- pressure respirator when the
employee chooses it and when the respirator provides adequate protection. And, where respiratory protection is required,
the employer must develop a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134 ( b)–( d) ( except
( d)( 1)( iii)) and ( f) through ( m). The respirators and the respiratory protection program must be provided to employees
free of charge.
Employees who use a filter respirator must use a high- efficiency filter and must change filters whenever an increase in
breathing resistance is detected. Employees who wear respirators must be allowed to wash their faces and respirator face-pieces
whenever necessary to prevent skin irritation associated with respirator use. An employee must not be assigned to
tasks requiring the use of respirators if a physician determines that the employee is unable to function normally wearing a
respirator or that the employee’s safety and health or that of others would be affected by the employee’s use of a respirator.
In this case, the employer must assign the employee to another job or give the employee the opportunity to transfer to a
different job that does not require the use of a respirator. The job must be with the same employer, in the same geographical
area, and with the same seniority, status, and rate of pay, if such a position is available.
The employer must ensure that a respirator issued to an employee fits properly and exhibits minimum facepiece leak-age.
Employers also must perform quantitative or qualitative fit tests, whichever are appropriate, at the time of initial fit-ting
and at least every year for each employee wearing tight- fitting respirators. Protocols for fit tests are set forth in 29
CFR 1910.134, Appendix A, of the standard. Tests must be used to select facepieces that provides required protection.
( See Table 4.)
Table 4
Assigned Protection Factors
27
Type of Respirator1,2
Air- purifying Respirator
Powered Air- purifying Respirator
Supplied- air Respirator or Airline Respirator
Demand mode
Continuous flow mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus ( SCBA)
Demand mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
( e. g., open/ closed circuit)
Half Mask
103
50
10
50
50
10
–
Full Facepiece
50
1,000
50
1,000
1,000
50
10,000
Notes:
1. Employers may select respirators assigned for use in higher workplace concentrations of a
hazardous substance for use at lower concentrations of that substance, or when required
respirator use is independent of concentration.
2. The assigned protection factors in this table are only effective when the employer implements
a continuing effective respirator program as required by the respiratory protection standard,
29 CFR 1910.134, including training, fit testing, maintenance, and use requirements.
3. Employers may not select or use filtering facepieces to protect against asbestos fibers.
Protective Clothing
For any employee exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos that exceed the PEL and/ or EL, the employer must
provide at no cost to the employee, and require the use of, protective clothing, such as coveralls or similar full- body
clothing, head coverings, gloves and foot coverings. In addition, wherever the possibility of eye irritation exists, face
shields, vented goggles or other appropriate protective equipment must be provided and worn.
Asbestos- contaminated work clothing must be removed in change rooms and placed and stored in closed, labeled
containers that prevent dispersion of the asbestos into the ambient environment. Protective clothing and equipment must
be cleaned, laundered, repaired or replaced to maintain effectiveness.
The employer must provide clean protective clothing and equipment at least weekly to each affected employee. The
employer must inform any person who launders or cleans asbestos- contaminated clothing or equipment of the potentially
harmful effects of exposure to asbestos. In addition, the employer must be certain that the person doing the cleaning or
laundering has been properly instructed on how to effectively prevent the release of airborne fibers in excess of the per-missible
exposure limits. For example, asbestos must never be removed from protective clothing by means of blowing or
shaking.
Contaminated clothing and equipment taken out of change rooms or the workplace for cleaning, maintenance or disposal
must be transported in sealed impermeable bags or other closed impermeable containers and must be appropriately labeled.
Hygiene Facilities and Practices
Employees who are required to work in regulated areas must be provided with clean change rooms, shower facilities
and lunchrooms. Change rooms must have two separate lockers or storage facilities— one for contaminated clothing, the
other for street clothing. They must be far enough apart to prevent accidental contamination of the employee’s street
clothes. Employees must shower at the end of the shift and cannot leave the workplace wearing any clothing or equip-ment
worn during the work shift. Lunchroom facilities must have a positive- pressure filtered air supply and must be read-ily
accessible to employees. See Figure 1.
28
Figure 1
Decontamination Area Arrangement
The employer must ensure that employees do not enter lunchroom facilities with protective work clothing or equip-ment
unless surface asbestos fibers have been removed by vacuuming or some other method that removes dust without
causing the asbestos to become airborne. The employer also must ensure that employees wash their hands prior to eating,
drinking, or smoking. Smoking is prohibited in regulated areas.
Housekeeping
All surfaces must be maintained as free as possible of accumulations of waste containing asbestos or asbestos dust. The
preferred methods of cleanup are wet cleaning and/ or vacuuming with HEPA- filtered vacuuming equipment. Compressed
air may not be used to clean surfaces contaminated by asbestos at any time. Whichever cleanup method is chosen, the
equipment must be used and emptied in a manner that minimizes the reentry of asbestos into the workplace.
The employer also must ensure that all spills and sudden releases of asbestos- containing materials are immediately
cleaned up, that sanding asbestos- containing floors is prohibited, and that low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 rpm
and wet methods are used. If the floor has sufficient finish, brushing or dry buffing is permissible. If workers are required
to buff or wax asbestos- containing resilient floors, building and facility owners must identify the installed material and
inform employees and employers of employees doing such housekeeping work.
Asbestos waste, scrap, debris, bags, containers, equipment and asbestos- contaminated clothing consigned for disposal
must be collected and disposed of in sealed, labeled, impermeable bags or other closed, labeled impermeable containers.
29
Entrance
Clean
Room
Shower
Room
Equipment
Room
Loading
Area
Work
Area
HEPA
Exhaust
System
Loading personnel
to wear respirators
Inside workers
never exit
through loading
area to outside
Air Lock
Plastic
Barriers
4" min.
4" min.
Sealed 12" min.
up wall
and
across
top
Top View
Glossary
The following terms are used in this document but are not elsewhere defined:
Air- purifying respirator: a respirator with an air- purifying filter, cartridge or canister that removes specific air contami-nants
by passing ambient air through the air- purifying element.
Asbestos- containing: having an asbestos content of greater than 1 percent.
ACM: asbestos- containing material.
Atmosphere- supplying respirator or supplied- air respirator: A respirator that supplies the respirator user with breathing air
from a source independent of the ambient atmosphere. This type includes supplied- air respirators ( SARs) and self- con-tained
breathing apparatus ( SCBA) units.
Excursion limit ( EL): The maximum concentration of an air contaminant to which an employee may be exposed for 30
minutes without regard to the use of a respirator.
Exposure or occupational exposure: Occurs when a person comes into contact with a chemical in the environment. May
involve oral ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin or the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.
Glove bag: Glove bags are approximately 40- inch- wide times 64- inch- long bags fitted with arms through which the work
can be performed. When properly installed and used, they permit workers to remain completely isolated from the asbestos
material removed or replaced inside the bag. Glove bags can thus provide a flexible, easily installed and quickly disman-tled
temporary small work area enclosure that is ideal for small- scale asbestos renovation or maintenance jobs. These
bags are single- use control devices that are disposed of at the end of each job. The bags are made of transparent 6- mil-thick
polyethylene plastic with arms of spun- bonded polyolefin material ( the same material used to make the disposable
protective suits used in major asbestos removal, renovation and demolition operations and in protective gloves).
Mesothelioma: a rare cancer of the thin membrane lining of the chest and abdomen. Symptoms of mesothelioma include
shortness of breath, pain in the walls of the chest and/ or abdominal pain.
Negative- pressure respirator: A tight- fitting respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative during
inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.
Objective data: data that demonstrates that the product or material containing asbestos minerals or the activity involving
such product or material cannot release airborne fibers in concentrations in excess of the PEL under those work condi-tions
having the greatest potential for releasing asbestos. The employer may use data derived from other employers’ jobs.
The data should reflect worst case conditions in a variety of occupational settings.
PACM: Presumed asbestos- containing material
Powered air- purifying respirator: a device equipped with: a facepiece, hood or helmet; breathing tube; canister, car-tridge,
filter, canister with filter or cartridge with filter; and a blower.
Presumed asbestos- containing material: thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed
before 1981. The designation of a material as “ PACM” may be rebutted pursuant to paragraph ( k)( 5) of 29 CFR
1926.1101.
Permissible exposure limit ( PEL): An exposure limit that is published and enforced by OSHA as a legal standard. The
asbestos standard has both an 8- hour time- weighted average ( TWA) permissible exposure limit ( 0.1 fiber per cubic cen-timeter)
and a 30- minute TWA excursion limit ( 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter).
Regulated area: an area established by the employer to demarcate areas where Class I, II and III asbestos work is con-ducted,
and any adjoining area where debris and waste from such asbestos work accumulate; and a work area within
which airborne concentrations of asbestos exceed or there is a reasonable possibility they may exceed the permissible
exposure limit.
Respirator: any device designed to provide the wearer with respiratory protection against inhalation of a hazardous
atmosphere.
Tensile strength: the greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing apart.
30
Additional Information
For questions regarding asbestos and the material discussed in this booklet, please contact the agencies listed below.
1. Specifications for Asbestos Hazard Management Program, including the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response
Act, and asbestos abatement requirements of the N. C. Department of Administration, Division of State
Construction, and N. C. Department of Public Instruction for asbestos removal projects in state- owned and public
school buildings:
Asbestos Program
Health Hazards Control Unit
1912 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1912
Telephone: ( 919) 707- 5950
2. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
N. C. Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Public Health
Health Hazards Control Unit
1912 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1912
Telephone: ( 919) 707- 5950
3. Transportation of asbestos and asbestos waste:
Program Administrator
N. C. Division of Motor Vehicles
Enforcement Motor Carriers
3128 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 3128
Telephone: ( 919) 861- 3186
4. North Carolina Solid Waste Management Rules ( regulating the disposal of asbestos waste in landfills):
N. C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
1646 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1646
5. Licensing for contractors ( including general contract work and asbestos contracting):
N. C. Licensing Board for General Contractors
P. O. Box 17187
Raleigh, NC 27619
Telephone: ( 919) 571- 4183
31
The following industry guides are available from the N. C. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and
Health Division:
1# 1. A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces
1# 2. A Guide to Procedures of the N. C. Safety and Health Review Commission ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 3. A Guide to Machine Safeguarding
1# 4. A Guide to OSHA in North Carolina
1# 5. A Guide for Persons Employed in Cotton Dust Environments ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 6. A Guide to Lead Exposure in the Construction Industry ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 7. A Guide to Bloodborne Pathogens in the Workplace
1# 8. A Guide to Voluntary Training and Training Requirements in OSHA Standards
1# 9. A Guide to Ergonomics
# 10. A Guide to Farm Safety and Health ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 11. A Guide to Radio Frequency Hazards With Electric Detonators ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 12. A Guide to Forklift Operator Training
# 13. A Guide to the Safe Storage of Explosive Materials ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 14. A Guide to the OSHA Excavations Standard
# 15. A Guide to Developing and Maintaining an Effective Hearing Conservation Program
# 16. A Guide to Construction Jobsite Safety and Health/ Guía de Seguridad y Salud para el Trabajo de Construcción
# 17. A Guide to Asbestos for Industry
# 18. A Guide to Electrical Safety
# 19. A Guide to Occupational Exposure to Wood, Wood Dust and Combustible Dust Hazards ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 20. A Guide to Crane Safety
# 23. A Guide to Working With Electricity
# 25. A Guide to Personal Protective Equipment
# 26. A Guide to Manual Materials Handling and Back Safety
# 27. A Guide to the Control of Hazardous Energy ( Lockout/ Tagout)
# 28. A Guide to Eye Wash and Safety Shower Facilities
# 29. A Guide to Safety and Health in Feed and Grain Mills ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 30. A Guide to Working With Corrosive Substances ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 31. A Guide to Formaldehyde ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 32. A Guide to Fall Prevention in Industry
# 32s. Guía de Protección Contra Caídas en la Industria ( Spanish version of # 32)
# 33. A Guide to Office Safety and Health ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 34. A Guide to Safety and Health in the Poultry Industry ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 35. A Guide to Preventing Heat Stress
# 38. A Guide to Safe Scaffolding
# 40. A Guide to Emergency Action Planning
# 41. A Guide to OSHA for Small Businesses in North Carolina
# 41s. Guía OSHA para Pequeños Negocios en Carolina del Norte ( Spanish version of # 41)
# 42. A Guide to Transportation Safety
# 43. A Guide to Combustible Dusts
Occupational Safety and Health ( OSH)
Sources of Information
You may call 1- 800- NC- LABOR ( 1- 800- 625- 2267) to reach any division of the N. C. Department of Labor; or visit the
NCDOL home page on the World Wide Web: http:// www. nclabor. com.
N. C. Occupational Safety and Health Division
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 3rd Floor)
Local Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2900 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2856
For information concerning education, training and interpretations of occupational safety and health standards contact:
Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 4th Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2875 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2876
For information concerning occupational safety and health consultative services and safety awards programs contact:
Consultative Services Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 3rd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2899 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2902
For information concerning migrant housing inspections and other related activities contact:
Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 2nd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2923 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2924
For information concerning occupational safety and health compliance contact:
Safety and Health Compliance District Offices
Raleigh District Office ( 313 Chapanoke Road, Raleigh, NC 27603)
Telephone: ( 919) 779- 8570 Fax: ( 919) 662- 4709
Asheville District Office ( 204 Charlotte Highway, Suite B, Asheville, NC 28803- 8681)
Telephone: ( 828) 299- 8232 Fax: ( 828) 299- 8266
Charlotte District Office ( 901 Blairhill Road, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28217- 1578)
Telephone: ( 704) 665- 4341 Fax: ( 704) 665- 4342
Winston- Salem District Office ( 4964 University Parkway, Suite 202, Winston- Salem, NC 27106- 2800)
Telephone: ( 336) 776- 4420 Fax: ( 336) 776- 4422
Wilmington District Office ( 1200 N. 23rd St., Suite 205, Wilmington, NC 28405- 1824)
Telephone: ( 910) 251- 2678 Fax: ( 910) 251- 2654
*** To make an OSHA Complaint, OSH Complaint Desk: ( 919) 807- 2796***
For statistical information concerning program activities contact:
Planning, Statistics and Information Management Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 2nd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2950 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2951
For information about books, periodicals, vertical files, videos, films, audio/ slide sets and computer databases contact:
N. C. Department of Labor Library
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 5th Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2848 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2849
N. C. Department of Labor ( Other than OSH)
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Telephone: ( 919) 733- 7166 Fax: ( 919) 733- 6197

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

A Guide to
Asbestos for Industry
Occupational Safety and Health Division
N. C. Department of Labor
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
17
N. C. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Program
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
OSHA State Plan Designee
Allen McNeely
Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
Kevin Beauregard
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
J. Edgar Geddie, Ph. D.
Reviewer
Acknowledgments
The information in this guide was updated in 2009.
This guide is intended to be consistent with all existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the
reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard must be followed instead of this guide.
To obtain additional copies of this guide, or if you have questions about North Carolina occupational safety and health stan-dards
or rules, please contact:
N. C. Department of Labor
Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Phone: ( 919) 807- 2875 or 1- 800- 625- 2267
____________________
Additional sources of information are listed on the inside back cover of this guide.
____________________
The projected cost of the NCDOL OSH program for federal fiscal year 2008– 2009 is $ 17,042,662. Federal funding provides approximately 30 percent ($ 4,090,400) of
this total.
Revised 4/ 09
Contents
Part Page
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1iiv
Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1ivi
I Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1ii1
Section 1: Important Facts About Asbestos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii12
Section 2: Provisions of the Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii15
Section 3: Methods of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii12
II Asbestos Standard for General Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii20
Section 1: Important Facts About Asbestos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii21
Section 2: Provisions of the Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii22
Section 3: Methods of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii26
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii30
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii31
iii
Foreword
Once we thought asbestos was the perfect material to deal with many modern construction needs. Its tough,
high- tensile strength and its ability to withstand heat and chemical stress were considered great assets.
Today we know that those desirable properties can come at a great health cost. We know now that inhaling asbestos
fibers can cause disabling and fatal diseases. To protect workers from exposure to asbestos, employers are required to
limit employee exposure to asbestos.
A Guide to Asbestos for Industry examines how to work around asbestos safely, particularly during abatement proce-dures.
The seriousness of the threat that airborne asbestos poses to workers’ health is also examined.
In North Carolina, the N. C. Department of Labor enforces the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act through
a state plan approved by the U. S. Department of Labor. NCDOL offers many educational programs to the public and
produces publications to help inform people about their rights and responsibilities regarding occupational safety and
health.
When reading this guide, please remember the mission of the N. C. Department of Labor is greater than just regulatory
enforcement. An equally important goal is to help citizens find ways to create safe workplaces. Everyone profits when
managers and employees work together for safety. This booklet, like the other educational materials produced by the N. C.
Department of Labor, can help.
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
v
Note
This guide is based upon the U. S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s booklets
Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry and Asbestos Standard for General Industry. Most of the material is
taken directly from those publications, although some state specific changes have been made by J. Edgar Geddie, Ph. D.,
health standards officer with the NCDOL Occupational Safety and Health Division, to reflect the OSHA program in
North Carolina. This booklet is intended to provide a generic overview of the standards- related topic and is not intended
to alter or determine compliance responsibilities.
Generally speaking, 29 CFR 1910 standards apply to general industry and 29 CFR 1926 standards apply to the
construction industry. However, in instances where there are gaps in coverage, standards may apply across boundaries.
The booklet is divided into two distinct parts. The first part discusses the “ Asbestos Standard for the Construction
Industry.” The second part follows with the “ Asbestos Standard for General Industry.” The N. C. Department of Labor
has combined the key parts of these two publications and offers them in this guide, A Guide to Asbestos for Industry.
This guide is intended to be consistent with all existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the
reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard should be followed.
vi
Part I
Asbestos Standard for the
Construction Industry
Section 1
Important Facts About Asbestos
Background
Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility,
and resistance to thermal, chemical and electrical conditions.
In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet,
roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire- resistant drywall, and acoustical products. ( See Table 1 for a partial list of
asbestos- containing products and building materials that have been used over the last 80 years in the United States.) Very
few asbestos- containing products are currently being installed. Consequently, most worker exposures occur during the
removal of asbestos and the renovation and maintenance of buildings and structures containing asbestos.
Asbestos fibers enter the body by the inhalation or ingestion of airborne particles that become embedded in the tissues
of the respiratory or digestive systems. Exposure to asbestos can cause disabling or fatal diseases, such as asbestosis, an
emphysema- like condition; lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes
covering the lungs and body organs; and gastrointestinal cancer. The symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear
for 20 or more years after initial exposure.
OSHA began regulating workplace asbestos exposure in 1970, adopting a permissible exposure limit ( PEL) to regulate
worker exposures. Over the years, more information on the adverse health effects of asbestos exposure has become avail-able,
prompting the agency to revise the asbestos standard several times to better protect workers. On Aug. 10, 1994,
OSHA issued a revised final standard regulating asbestos exposure in all industries. The newly revised standard for the
construction industry lowered the PEL, cutting it in half from 0.2 fibers per cubic centimeter of air ( f/ cc) to 0.1 f/ cc. The
standard became effective Oct. 11, 1994; however, various provisions have later startup dates for compliance. ( See
“ Occupational Exposure to Asbestos,” Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) 1926.1101 for specific dates.)
Approximately 3.2 million workers in new construction, building renovation, and maintenance and custodial1 work in
buildings and industrial facilities are affected by the standard. OSHA estimates, conservatively, that about 42 additional
cancer deaths per year will be avoided in all industries, in addition to the lives saved of those peripherally exposed to
asbestos and the lives saved by earlier OSHA standards.
Regulatory Review
OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) have promulgated increasingly more stringent asbestos regula-tions.
OSHA has revised the general industry standard ( 29 CFR 1910.1001) and the construction industry standard ( 29
CFR 1926. 1101, referred to as the asbestos standard in this guide) for asbestos. These standards primarily address poten-tial
workplace exposures to asbestos, whether resulting from the manufacture of asbestos- containing products ( 29 CFR
1910.1101) or from the installation or removal of asbestos- containing building materials ( 29 CFR 1926.1101).
EPA standards have primarily addressed the removal of asbestos from school buildings through the Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act ( AHERA) ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E). AHERA requires specific inspection procedures, develop-ment
of management plans, selection of response actions, recordkeeping and training. Individuals performing inspections,
writing management plans, designing asbestos abatement projects, supervising asbestos removal projects or removing
asbestos from school buildings must receive specific EPA- approved training and be accredited in the state where they per-form
the work. In North Carolina, standards at least as stringent as those in AHERA are enforced through the Asbestos
Hazard Management Program ( N. C. Gen. Stat. § § 130A- 444 et seq. ( 1989)).
The Asbestos Hazard Management Program ( rules of operation appear at 10 NCAC 7C. 0600 et seq.), is implemented
by the N. C. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. In addition to asbestos removal from
schools, the law relates to asbestos control in other public areas not otherwise covered by OSHA. Basically, the program
( 1) limits asbestos in public areas more stringently than would OSHA regulations, ( 2) requires permits to be secured for
each asbestos removal project, and ( 3) requires people engaged in asbestos management activities to be accredited.
2
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1. Pure custodial work in manufacturing facilities is covered by the general industry asbestos standard.
Requirements for accreditation are specified for seven categories of asbestos management personnel. Additionally, North
Carolina requires that all asbestos- related projects in state- owned or public school buildings follow the Specification for
Asbestos Abatement plan developed by the N. C. Department of Administration, State Construction Office.
EPA standards regulate airborne asbestos fibers that may be released into the environment during manufacturing,
building demolition or renovation activities as well as disposal of asbestos- containing waste materials. Air emission of
asbestos is also regulated. Such regulation is through the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
( NESHAP) ( 40 CFR 61, Subparts A, B and M). The NESHAP is enforced in North Carolina by the Division of Public
Health ( see Additional Information in this publication). In particular, this program requires notification of all demolition
work.
Work Classification
The original asbestos in construction standard ( 29 CFR 1926.58) had an exemption for “ small- scale, short- duration
activities” but did not define this term. This exemption permitted employers to perform certain activities without having
to implement the extensive engineering controls that were required under paragraph ( e)( 6) of that standard.
The revised standard ( 29 CFR 1926.1101) eliminated the ambiguity associated with this exemption and classified
asbestos construction work into one of four classes or categories. This classification scheme is based on the nature of the
work activity and the type of asbestos material involved. The classification system for asbestos construction work clearly
spells out mandatory, simple, technological work practices to follow to reduce worker exposures. Four classes of con-struction
activity are matched with increasingly stringent control requirements. 2
Class I asbestos work, the most potentially hazardous class of asbestos jobs, involves the removal of thermal system
insulation and sprayed- on or troweled- on surfacing asbestos- containing materials or presumed asbestos- containing mate-rials.
3 Thermal system insulation includes asbestos- containing materials applied to pipes, boilers, tanks, ducts or other
structural components to prevent heat loss or gain. Surfacing materials include decorative plaster on ceilings, acoustical
asbestos- containing materials on decking or fireproofing on structural members.
Class II work includes the removal of other types of asbestos- containing materials that are not thermal system insula-tion,
such as resilient flooring and roofing materials containing asbestos. Examples of Class II work include removal of
floor or ceiling tiles, siding, roofing, or transite panels.
Class III asbestos work includes repair and maintenance operations where asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos-containing
materials are disturbed.
Class IV operations include custodial activities where employees clean up asbestos- containing waste and debris. This
includes dusting contaminated surfaces, vacuuming contaminated carpets, mopping floors, and cleaning up asbestos- con-taining
or presumed asbestos- containing materials from thermal system insulation.
Scope and Application
The asbestos standard for the construction industry ( 29 CFR 1926.1101) regulates asbestos exposure from activities
including, but not limited to, the following:
demolishing or salvaging structures where asbestos is present;
removing or encapsulating asbestos- containing materials;
constructing, altering, repairing, maintaining or renovating asbestos- containing structures or substrates;
installing asbestos- containing products;
cleaning up asbestos spills/ emergencies; and
transporting, disposing, storing, containing and housekeeping involving asbestos or asbestos- containing products on
a construction site.
3
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2. See Appendix elsewhere in this publication for a list of provisions broken down by work classification.
3. This includes thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed before 1981.
Table 1
Asbestos- Containing Materials Found in Buildings
4
Subdivision Generic Name Asbestos (%) Dates of Use Binder/ Sizing
Surfacing material sprayed- or 221– 95 1935– 1970 sodium silicate,
troweled- on portland cement,
organic binders
Preformed thermal batts, blocks, and
insulating products pipe covering
85% magnesia 215 1926– 1949 magnesium carbonate
calcium silicate 226– 8 1949– 1971 calcium silicate
Textiles cloth
blankets ( fire) 100 1910– present none
felts: 290– 95 1920– present cotton/ wool
blue stripe 280 1920– present cotton
red stripe 290 1920– present cotton
green stripe 295 1920– present cotton
sheets 250– 95 1920– present cotton/ wool
cord/ rope/ yarn 280– 100 1920– present cotton/ wool
tubing 280– 85 1920– present cotton/ wool
tape/ strip 290 1920– present cotton/ wool
curtains
( theater, welding) 260– 65 1945– present cotton
Cementitious extrusion panels: 228 1965– 1977 portland cement
concrete- like products corrugated 220– 45 1930– present portland cement
flat 240– 50 1930– present portland cement
flexible 230– 50 1930– present portland cement
flexible perforated 230– 50 1930– present portland cement
laminated
( outer surface) 235– 50 1930– present portland cement
roof tiles 220– 30 1930��� present portland cement
clapboard and shingles:
clapboard 212– 15 1944– 1945 portland cement
siding shingles 212– 14 unknown– present portland cement
roofing shingles 220– 32 unknown– present portland cement
pipe 220– 15 1935– present portland cement
Paper products corrugated:
high temperature 290 1935– present sodium silicate
moderate temperature 235– 70 1910– present starch
indented 298 1935– present cotton and organic binder
millboard 280– 85 1925– present starch, lime, clay
Roofing felts smooth surface 210– 15 1910– present asphalt
mineral surface 210– 15 1910– present asphalt
shingles 221 1971– 1974 asphalt
pipeline 210 1920– present asphalt
Section 2
Provisions of the Standard
OSHA sets out several provisions employers must follow to comply with the asbestos standard. The agency has estab-lished
strict exposure limits and requirements for exposure assessment, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, “ competent
persons,” 4 regulated areas and hazard communication.
Permissible Exposure Limit ( PEL)
Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 0.1 f/ cc as an
8- hour time- weighted average ( TWA).
OSHA also established an excursion limit ( EL) for asbestos. Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to an
airborne concentration of asbestos in excess of 1 f/ cc as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.
Exposure Assessments and Monitoring
Employers must assess all asbestos operations for their potential to generate airborne fibers. Employers must use expo-sure
monitoring data to assess employee exposures.
Initial Exposure Assessments
The designated competent person must assess exposures immediately before or as the operation begins to determine
expected exposures. The assessment must be done in time to comply with all standard requirements triggered by exposure
data or the lack of a negative exposure assessment5 and to provide the necessary information to ensure all control systems
are appropriate and work properly.
The initial exposure assessment must be based on the following:
the results of employee exposure monitoring; 6
all observations, information or calculations indicating employee exposure to asbestos, including any previous moni-toring;
and
the presumption that employees performing Class I asbestos work are exposed in excess of the PEL and EL until
exposure monitoring proves they are not.
Negative Exposure Assessments
For any specific asbestos job that trained employees perform, employers may show that exposure will be below the
PEL by performing an assessment and confirming it by the following:
“ objective data” demonstrating an asbestos- containing material or activities involving it cannot release airborne
fibers in excess of the PEL and EL;
“ historical data” from prior monitoring for similar asbestos jobs performed within 12 months of the current job and
obtained during work operations conducted under similar conditions;
employees’ training and experience were no more extensive for previous jobs than training for current employees;
and
data show a high degree of certainty that employee exposures will not exceed the PEL and EL under current condi-tions,
and current initial exposure monitoring used breathing zone air samples representing the 8- hour TWA and
30- minute short- term exposures for each employee in those operations most likely to result in exposure over the
PEL for the entire asbestos job.
5
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4. The standard defines competent person as one who can identify existing asbestos hazards in the workplace and who has the authority to correct
these hazards.
5. A negative exposure assessment demonstrates that employee exposure during an operation is consistently below the PEL.
6. Unless there has been a negative exposure assessment. In certain less hazardous operations, the employer may be exempt from monitoring. See
29 CFR 1926.1101 for specific requirements.
Exposure Monitoring
Employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples representing the 8- hour TWA and
30- minute short- term exposures for each employee.
Employers must take one or more samples representing full- shift exposure to determine the 8- hour TWA exposure in
each work area. To determine short- term employee exposures, employers must take one or more samples representing
30- minute exposures for the operations most likely to expose employees above the EL in each work area.
Employers must allow affected employees and their designated representatives to observe any employee exposure
monitoring. When observation requires entry into a regulated area, the employer must provide and require the use of
protective clothing and equipment.
Periodic Monitoring
For Class I and II jobs, employers must monitor each employee working in a regulated area daily, unless a negative
exposure assessment for the entire operation already exists and nothing has changed. When all employees use supplied- air
respirators operated in positive- pressure mode, however, employers may discontinue daily monitoring. Note that for
employees performing Class I work using control methods not recommended in the standard, employers must continue
daily monitoring, even when employees use supplied- air respirators.
For operations other than Class I and Class II, employers must monitor all work where exposures can possibly exceed
the PEL often enough to validate the exposure prediction.
If periodic monitoring shows employee exposures below the PEL and EL, the employer may discontinue monitoring
for the represented employees.
Additional Monitoring
Changes in processes, control equipment, level of personnel experience or work practices that could result in new or
additional exposures above the PEL or EL, regardless of a previous negative exposure assessment for a specific job,
require additional monitoring.
Medical Surveillance
Employers must provide a medical surveillance program for all employees:
who engage in Class I, II, or III work for a combined total of 30 or more days per year; or
are exposed at or above the PEL or EL; or
who wear negative- pressure respirators.
A licensed physician must perform or supervise all medical exams and procedures, provided at no cost to employees
and at a reasonable time and place.
Employers must make medical exams and consultations available to employees:
prior to employee assignment to an area where negative- pressure respirators are worn,
within 10 working days after the 30th day of exposure for employees assigned to an area where exposure is at or
above the PEL for 30 or more days per year,
at least annually thereafter, and
when the examining physician suggests them more frequently.
If the employee was examined within the past 12 months and that exam meets the criteria of the standard, another
medical exam is not required.
Content of Medical Exam
Medical exams must include the following:
a medical and work history,
completion of a standardized questionnaire with the initial exam ( See 29 CFR 1926.1101, Appendix D, Part 1) and
an abbreviated standardized questionnaire with annual exams ( See 29 CFR 1926.1101, Appendix D, Part 2),
6
a physical exam focusing on the pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems, and
any other exams or tests suggested by the examining physician.
Employers must provide the examining physician:
a copy of OSHA’s asbestos standard and its appendixes,
a description of the affected employee’s duties relating to exposure,
the employee’s representative exposure level or anticipated exposure level,
a description of any personal protective equipment and respiratory equipment used, and
information from previous medical exams not otherwise available.
It is the employer’s responsibility to obtain the physician’s written opinion, containing results of the medical exam and:
any medical conditions of the employee that increase health risks from asbestos exposure,
any recommended limitations on the employee or protective equipment used,
a statement that the employee has been informed of the results of the medical exam and any medical conditions
resulting from asbestos exposure, and
a statement that the employee has been informed of the increased risk of lung cancer from the combined effect of
smoking and asbestos exposure.
The physician must not reveal in the written opinion specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to occupational exposure
to asbestos. The employer must provide a copy of the physician’s written opinion to the affected employee within 30 days
after receipt.
Recordkeeping
Objective Data Records
Where employers use objective data to demonstrate that products made from or containing asbestos cannot release
fibers in concentrations at or above the PEL or EL, they must keep an accurate record for as long as it is relied on and
include:
the exempt product;
the source of the objective data;
the testing protocol, test results and analysis of the material for release of asbestos;
a description of the exempt operation and support data; and
other data relevant to operations, materials, processes or employee exposures.
Monitoring Records
Employers must keep records of all employee exposure monitoring for at least 30 years, including:
the date of measurement;
the operation involving asbestos exposure that was monitored;
sampling and analytical methods used and evidence of their accuracy;
the number, duration and results of samples taken;
the type of protective devices worn; and
the name, Social Security number, and exposures of the represented employees.
Employers must make exposure records available when requested by affected employees, former employees, their
designated representatives, and the commissioner of labor or her designee.
7
Medical Surveillance Records
Employers must keep all medical surveillance records for the duration of the employee’s employment plus 30 years,
including:
the employee’s name and social security number;
the employee’s medical exam results, including the medical history, questionnaires, responses, test results, and
physician’s recommendations;
the physician’s written opinions;
any employee medical complaints related to asbestos exposure; and
a copy of the information provided to the examining physician.
Employee medical surveillance records must be available to the subject employee, anyone having specific written
consent of that employee, and the commissioner of labor or her designee.
Other Recordkeeping Requirements
Employers must maintain all employee training records for one year beyond the last date of employment for each
employee.
Where data demonstrate presumed asbestos- containing materials do not contain asbestos, building owners or
employers must keep the records for as long as they rely on them. Building owners must maintain written notifications
on the identification, location and quantity of any asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials for
the duration of ownership and transfer the records to successive owners.
When an employer ceases to do business without a successor to keep the records, the employer must notify the director
of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH) at least 90 days prior to their disposal and transmit
them as requested.
Competent Person Requirements
On all construction sites with asbestos operations, employers must name a competent person, qualified and authorized
to ensure worker safety and health, as required by Subpart C, General Safety and Health Provisions for Construction
( 29 CFR 1926.20). Under these requirements for safety and health prevention programs, the competent person must fre-quently
inspect job sites, materials and equipment.
In addition, for Class I jobs the competent person must inspect onsite at least once during each work shift and upon
employee request. For Class II and III jobs, the competent person must inspect often enough to assess changing condi-tions
and upon employee request.
At worksites where employees perform Class I or II asbestos work, the competent person must supervise:
the setup and ensure the integrity of regulated areas, enclosures, or other containments by onsite inspection;
setup procedures to control entry to and exit from the enclosure or area;
all employee exposure monitoring, ensuring it is properly conducted;
use of required protective clothing and equipment by employees working within the enclosure or using glove bags; 7
proper setup, removal and performance of engineering controls, work practices and personal protective equipment
through onsite inspections;
employee use of hygiene facilities and required decontamination procedures; and
notification requirements.
8
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7. A plastic bag- like enclosure affixed around an asbestos- containing material, with glove- like appendages through which materials and tools
may be handled.
The competent person must attend a comprehensive training course for contractors and supervisors certified by the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) or a state- approved training provider or a course that is equivalent in length
and content.
For Class III and IV asbestos work, training must include a course equivalent in length and content to the 16- hour
“ Operations and Maintenance” course developed by the EPA for maintenance and custodial workers. 8
Regulated Areas
A regulated area is an area marked off to show where employees work with asbestos, including any adjoining area( s)
where debris and waste from asbestos work accumulates or where airborne concentrations of asbestos exceed or can possi-bly
exceed the PEL. All Class I, II, and III asbestos work or any other operations where airborne asbestos exceeds the PEL
must be done within regulated areas. Only authorized personnel9 may enter. The designated competent person supervises
all asbestos work performed in the area. ( See the competent person requirements previously discussed in this section.)
Employers must mark off the regulated area in any manner that minimizes the number of people within the area and
protects people outside the area from exposure to airborne asbestos. Critical barriers10 or negative- pressure enclosures
may mark off the regulated area.
Posted warning signs demarcating the area must be easily readable and understandable. The signs must bear the fol-lowing
information:
Employers must supply a respirator to all people entering regulated areas. ( See respiratory protection requirements in
Section 3.) Employees must not eat, drink, smoke, chew tobacco or gum, or apply cosmetics in regulated areas.
An employer performing work in a regulated area must inform other employers onsite of the:
nature of the work,
regulated area requirements, and
measures taken to protect onsite employees.
The contractor creating or controlling the source of asbestos contamination must abate the hazards. All employers with
employees working near regulated areas must assess each day the enclosure’s integrity or the effectiveness of control
methods to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating.
A general contractor on a construction project must oversee all asbestos work, even though he or she may not be the
designated competent person. As supervisor of the entire project, the general contractor determines whether asbestos con-tractors
comply with the standard and ensures they correct any problems.
9
DANGER
ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORY AND PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA
__________
28. For more specific information, see 40 CFR 763.92( a)( 2).
29. Any person permitted by the employer and required by work duties to be present in regulated areas.
10. Plastic sheeting placed over all openings to the work area to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating to an adjacent area.
Communication of Hazards
Notification Requirements
The communication of asbestos hazards is vital to prevent further overexposure. Most asbestos- related construction
involves previously installed building materials. Building owners often are the only or best source of information con-cerning
them. The owners and employers of potentially exposed employees have specific duties under the standard.
Before beginning work, building owners must identify at the worksite all thermal system insulation, sprayed or
troweled- on surfacing materials in buildings, and resilient flooring material installed before 1981 and presumed asbestos-containing
material ( PACM). Building owners also must notify, in writing, the following people of the presence, locations
and quantity of asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials:
prospective employers applying or bidding for work in or adjacent to areas containing asbestos,
the owner’s employees who work in or nearby these areas,
other employers on multi- employer worksites with employees working in or adjacent to the area, and
tenants who will occupy the areas containing such materials.
All employers discovering asbestos- containing materials on a worksite must notify the building owner and other
employers onsite within 24 hours of its presence, location and quantity. Employers also must inform building owners and
employees working in nearby areas of the precautions taken to confine airborne asbestos. Within 10 days of project com-pletion,
employers must inform building owners and other employers onsite of the current locations and quantity of
remaining asbestos- containing materials and any final monitoring results.
At any time, employers or building owners may demonstrate that a presumed asbestos- containing material does not
contain asbestos by inspecting the material ( conducted according to the requirements of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act ( AHERA) ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E)) and by performing tests to prove asbestos is not present. 11
Employers do not have to inform employees of the presence of asbestos- free building materials; however, employers
must retain the information, data and analysis supporting the determination. ( See recordkeeping requirements in Section 1
of this publication for more specific information.)
Signs
At the entrance to mechanical rooms or areas containing thermal system insulation and surfacing asbestos- containing
materials, the building owner must post signs identifying the material present, its specific location and appropriate work
practices that ensure it is not disturbed.
Employers must post warning signs in regulated areas to inform employees of the dangers and necessary protective
steps to take before entering. ( See the regulated area requirements elsewhere in this publication.)
Labels
Employers must attach warning labels to all products and containers of asbestos, including waste containers, and all
installed asbestos products, when possible. Labels must be printed in large, bold letters on a contrasting background and
used in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard ( 29 CFR 1910.1200). All labels must contain a warn-ing
statement against breathing asbestos fibers and contain the following legend:
10
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11. See 29 CFR 1926.1101 for specific testing requirements.
DANGER
CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS
AVOID CREATING DUST
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
Labels are not required where:
asbestos is present in concentrations less than 1 percent by weight, or
a bonding agent, coating or binder has altered asbestos fibers, prohibiting the release of airborne asbestos over the
PEL or EL during reasonable use, handling, storage, disposal, processing or transportation.
When building owners or employers identify previously installed asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials,
labels or signs must be attached or posted to inform employees which materials contain asbestos. Attached labels must be
clearly noticeable and readable.
Employee Information and Training
General Training Requirements
Employers must, at no cost to employees, provide a training program for all employees installing and handling
asbestos- containing products and for employees performing Class I through IV asbestos operations. Employees must
receive training prior to or at initial assignment and at least annually thereafter.
Training courses must be easily understandable for employees and must inform them of:
ways to recognize asbestos;
the adverse health effects of asbestos exposure;
the relationship between smoking and asbestos in causing lung cancer;
operations that could result in asbestos exposure and the importance of protective controls to minimize exposure;
the purpose, proper use, fitting instruction and limitations of respirators;
the appropriate work practices for performing asbestos jobs and medical surveillance program requirements;
the contents of the standard;
the names, addresses and phone numbers of public health organizations that provide information and materials or
conduct smoking cessation programs; and
sign and label requirements and the meaning of legends on them.
The employer also must provide, at no cost to employees, written materials relating to employee training and self- help
smoking cessation programs.
Additional Training Based on Work Class
For Class I operations and Class II operations that require the use of critical barriers ( or equivalent isolation methods)
or negative pressure enclosures, training must be equivalent in curriculum, method and length to the EPA Model
Accreditation Plan ( MAP) asbestos abatement worker training ( 40 CFR 763, Subpart E, Appendix C). For employees
performing Class II operations involving one generic category of building materials containing asbestos ( e. g., roofing,
flooring or siding materials or transite panels), training may be covered in an eight- hour course that includes hands- on
experience.
For Class III operations, training must be equivalent in curriculum and method to the 16- hour operations and mainte-nance
course developed by EPA for maintenance and custodial workers whose work disturbs asbestos- containing materials
( See 40 CFR 763.92). The course must include hands- on training on proper respirator use and work practices.
For Class IV operations, training must be equivalent in curriculum and method to EPA awareness training. 12 Training
must focus on the locations of asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials and the ways to recognize
damage and deterioration and avoid exposure. The course must be at least two hours in length.
Employers must provide the commissioner of labor or her designee all information and training materials as requested.
11
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12. See 29 CFR 1926.1101 for more information.
Section 3
Methods of Compliance
Control Measures
For all covered work, employers must use the following control methods to comply with the PEL and EL:
local exhaust ventilation equipped with HEPA filter13 dust collection systems,
enclosure or isolation of processes producing asbestos dust,
ventilation of the regulated area to move contaminated air away from the employees’ breathing zone and toward a
filtration or collection device equipped with a HEPA filter, and
feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce exposure to the lowest possible levels, supplemented by
respirators to reach the PEL or EL or lower.
Employers must use the following engineering controls and work practices for all operations regardless of exposure
levels:
vacuum cleaners equipped with HEPA filters to collect all asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing
debris and dust;
wet methods or wetting agents to control employee exposures, except when infeasible ( e. g., due to the creation of
electrical hazards, equipment malfunction and slipping hazards); and
prompt cleanup and disposal in leak- tight containers of asbestos- contaminated wastes and debris.
The following work practices and engineering controls are prohibited for all asbestos- related work or work that dis-turbs
asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials, regardless of measured exposure levels or the results of initial
exposure assessments:
high- speed abrasive disc saws not equipped with a point- of- cut ventilator or enclosure with HEPA- filtered exhaust
air;
compressed air to remove asbestos or asbestos- containing materials, unless the compressed air is used with an
enclosed ventilation system;
dry sweeping, shoveling or other dry cleanup of dust and debris; and
employee rotation to reduce exposure.
In addition, OSHA’s asbestos standard established specific requirements for each class of asbestos work in construction.
Class I Work
A designated competent person must supervise all Class I work, including installing and operating the control system.
Employers must place critical barriers over all openings to regulated areas or use another barrier or isolation method to
prevent airborne asbestos from migrating for:
all Class I jobs removing more than 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or surfacing material,
all other Class I jobs without a negative exposure assessment, and
where employees are working in areas adjacent to a Class I regulated area.
Otherwise, employers must perform perimeter area surveillance during each work shift. No asbestos dust should be
visible. Perimeter monitoring must show that clearance levels are met ( as contained in 40 CFR 763, Subpart E of the
“ EPA Asbestos in Schools” rule) or that perimeter area levels are no greater than background levels.
12
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13. High- efficiency particulate air ( HEPA) filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of all monodispersed particles of 0.3
micrometers in diameter.
For all Class I jobs:
HVAC systems must be isolated in the regulated area by sealing with a double layer of 6 mil plastic or the equivalent,
impermeable dropcloths must be placed on surfaces beneath all removal activity,
all objects within the regulated area must be covered with secured impermeable dropcloths or plastic sheeting, and
for jobs without a negative exposure assessment or where exposure monitoring shows the PEL is exceeded, employ-ers
must ventilate the regulated area to move the contaminated air away from the employee breathing zone and
toward a HEPA filtration or collection device.
In addition, employees performing Class I work must use one or more of the following control methods. ( For the speci-fications,
limitations and recommended work practices of these required control methods, refer to Occupational Exposure
to Asbestos, 29 CFR 1926.1101.)
negative- pressure enclosure systems must be used where the configuration of the work area makes it impossible to
erect the enclosure,
glove bag systems can be used to remove asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials from
straight runs of piping,
glove bag systems can be used for piping bends if manufactured for that purpose,
negative- pressure glove bag systems can be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials
from piping,
negative- pressure glove box systems can be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials
from pipe runs,
water spray process systems may be used to remove asbestos or presumed asbestos- containing materials from cold-line
piping if employees carrying out the process have completed a 40- hour training course on its use in addition to
training required for all employees performing Class I work, or
a small walk- in enclosure that accommodates no more than two people ( mini- enclosure) may be used if the distur-bance
or removal can be completely contained by the enclosure.
Employers may use different or modified engineering and work practice controls if the following provisions are met:
the control method encloses, contains or isolates the process or source of airborne asbestos dust, or captures and
redirects the dust before it enters into the employees’ breathing zone;
a certified industrial hygienist or licensed professional engineer qualified as a project designer evaluates the work
area, the projected work practices and the engineering controls and certifies, in writing, that based on evaluations
and data the planned control method adequately reduces direct and indirect employee exposure to or below the PEL
under worst- case conditions. The planned control method also must prevent asbestos contamination outside the reg-ulated
area, as measured by sampling meeting the requirements of EPA’s “ Asbestos in Schools” rule or perimeter
monitoring; and
before using alternative methods to remove more than 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation or
surfacing material, employers must send a copy of the evaluation and certification to the N. C. Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health Division.
Class II Work
The competent person must supervise all Class II work. Employers must use critical barriers over all openings to the
regulated area or another barrier or isolation method to prevent airborne asbestos from migrating for:
all indoor Class II jobs without a negative exposure assessment,
where changing conditions indicate exposure above the PEL, or
where asbestos- containing materials are not removed substantially intact.
13
Otherwise, employers must perform perimeter area monitoring to verify that the barrier works properly. Impermeable
dropcloths must be placed on all surfaces beneath removal activities.
All Class II asbestos work can use the same work practices and requirements as Class I asbestos jobs. Alternatively,
Class II work can be performed more easily using simple work practices set out in the standard for specific jobs.
For removing vinyl and asphalt flooring materials containing asbestos or installed in buildings constructed before 1981
and not verified as asbestos- free, employers must ensure that employees:
do not sand flooring or its backing,
do not rip up resilient sheeting,
do not dry sweep,
do not use mechanical chipping unless performed in a negative- pressure enclosure,
use vacuums equipped with HEPA filters to clean floors,
use wet methods when removing resilient sheeting by cutting,
use wet methods to scrape residual adhesives and backing,
remove tiles intact, unless impossible,
may omit wetting when tiles are heated and removed intact, and
assume resilient flooring materials, including associated mastic and backing, are asbestos- containing, unless an
industrial hygienist determines them to be asbestos- free.
To remove asbestos- containing roofing materials, employers must ensure that employees:
remove them intact;
use wet methods when possible;
continuously mist cutting machines during use, unless the competent person determines misting to be unsafe;
immediately HEPA vacuum all loose dust along the cut;
lower as soon as possible or by the end of the work shift any unwrapped or unbagged roofing material to the ground
via a covered, dust- tight chute, crane, or hoist;
transfer unwrapped materials to a closed receptacle to prevent dispersing the dust when lowered; and
isolate roof- level heating and ventilation air intake sources or shut down the ventilation system.
When removing cementitious asbestos- containing siding and shingles or transite panels, employers must ensure that
employees:
do not cut, abrade or break siding, shingles or transite panels unless methods less likely to result in asbestos fiber
release cannot be used;
spray each panel or shingle with amended water14 before removing;
lower to the ground any unwrapped or unbagged panels or shingles via a covered dust- tight chute, crane or hoist, or
place them in an impervious waste bag or wrap them in plastic sheeting, as soon as possible or by the end of the
work shift; and
cut nails with flat, sharp instruments.
When removing asbestos- containing gaskets, employers must ensure that employees:
remove gaskets within glove bags if they are visibly deteriorated and unlikely to be removed intact,
thoroughly wet the gaskets with amended water prior to removing,
immediately place the wet gaskets in a disposal container, and
scrape using wet methods to remove residue.
14
__________
14. Water to which surfactant ( a wetting agent) has been added to increase the ability of the liquid to penetrate and asbestos- containing material.
For removal of any other Class II asbestos- containing material, employers must ensure employees:
do not cut, abrade or break the material unless methods less likely to result in asbestos fiber release cannot be used,
thoroughly wet the material with amended water before and during removal,
remove the material intact, if possible, and
immediately bag or wrap removed asbestos- containing materials or keep them wet until transferred to a closed
receptacle at the end of the work shift.
Employers may use different or modified engineering and work practice controls if:
they can demonstrate by employee exposure data during the use of such methods and under similar conditions that
employee exposure will not exceed the PEL under any anticipated circumstances, or
the competent person evaluates the work area, the projected work practices and the engineering controls and certifies
in writing that they will reduce all employee exposure to below the PEL under expected conditions. The evaluation
must be based on exposure data for conditions closely resembling those of the current job and for employees with
equivalent training and experience.
Class III Work
Employers must use wet methods and local exhaust ventilation, when feasible, during Class III work. Where drilling,
cutting, abrading, sanding, chipping, breaking or sawing thermal system insulation or surfacing materials occurs, employ-ers
must use impermeable dropcloths as well as mini- enclosures, glove bag systems or other effective isolation methods.
Where no negative exposure assessment exists or monitoring shows the PEL is exceeded, employers must contain the
area with impermeable dropcloths and plastic barriers or other isolation methods and ensure that employees wear respira-tors.
( See also respirator requirements elsewhere in this section.)
Class IV Work
Employees conducting Class IV asbestos work must have attended an asbestos awareness training program. Employees
must use wet methods and HEPA vacuums to promptly clean asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing debris.
When cleaning debris and waste in regulated areas, employees must wear respirators. In areas where thermal system insu-lation
or surfacing material is present, employees must assume that all waste and debris contain asbestos.
Respiratory Protection
Respirators must be used during
all Class I asbestos jobs;
all Class II work where an asbestos- containing material is not removed substantially intact;
all Class II and III work not using wet methods;
all Class II and III work without a negative exposure assessment;
all Class III jobs where thermal system insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing
material is cut, abraded or broken;
all Class IV work within a regulated area where respirators are required;
all work where employees are exposed above the PEL or EL; and
emergencies.
Employers must provide respirators at no cost to employees, selecting the appropriate type from among those approved
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH).
15
For all employees performing Class I work in regulated areas and for jobs without a negative exposure assessment,
employers must provide full- facepiece supplied- air respirators operated in pressure- demand mode and equipped with an
auxiliary positive- pressure, self- contained breathing apparatus. 15
Employers must provide half- mask purifying respirators, other than disposable respirators, equipped with high-efficiency
filters for Class II and III asbestos jobs without a negative exposure assessment and for Class III jobs where
work disturbs thermal system insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials.
If a particular job is not covered above and exposures are above the PEL or EL, the asbestos standard, Occupational
Exposure to Asbestos, 29 CFR 1926.1101, contains a table specifying types of respirators to use.
Employers must institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with Respiratory Protection, 29 CFR 1910.134
( b)–( d) ( except ( d)( 1)( iii)) and ( f) through ( m). Employers must permit employees using filter respirators to change the fil-ter
elements when breathing resistance increases; employers must maintain an adequate supply of filters for this purpose.
Employers must permit employees wearing respirators to leave work areas to wash their faces and respirator facepieces as
necessary to prevent skin irritation.
Employers must ensure that the respirators issued have the least possible facepiece leakage and fit properly. For
employees wearing negative- pressure respirators, employers must perform either quantitative or qualitative face fit tests
with the initial fitting and at least every 12 months following. The qualitative fit tests can be used only for fit testing half-mask
respirators where they are permitted or for full- facepiece air- purifying respirators where they are worn at levels
where half- facepiece air- purifying respirators are permitted. Employers must conduct qualitative and quantitative fit tests
in accordance with the Respiratory Protection Standard ( 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix A) and use the tests to select face-pieces
that provide the required protection. ( See Table 2.)
Table 2
Assigned Protection Factors
16
__________
15. Unless the competent person determines wearing such a respirator is not feasible, in which case a tight- fitting powered air- purifying respirator
may be worn.
Type of Respirator1,2
Air- purifying Respirator
Powered Air- purifying Respirator
Supplied- air Respirator or Airline Respirator
Demand mode
Continuous flow mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus ( SCBA)
Demand mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
( e. g., open/ closed circuit)
Half Mask
103
50
10
50
50
10
–
Full Facepiece
50
1,000
50
1,000
1,000
50
10,000
Notes:
1. Employers may select respirators assigned for use in higher workplace concentrations of a
hazardous substance for use at lower concentrations of that substance, or when required
respirator use is independent of concentration.
2. The assigned protection factors in this table are only effective when the employer implements
a continuing effective respirator program as required by the respiratory protection standard,
29 CFR 1910.134, including training, fit testing, maintenance, and use requirements.
3. Employers may not select or use filtering facepieces to protect against asbestos fibers.
Employers must not assign any employee, who based on the most recent physical exam and the examining physician’s
recommendations would be unable to function normally, to tasks requiring respirator use. Employers must assign such
employees to other jobs or give them the opportunity to transfer to different positions in the same geographical area and
with the same seniority, status, pay rate and job benefits as before transferring, if such positions are available.
Protective Clothing
Employers must provide and require the use of protective clothing, such as coveralls or similar whole- body clothing,
head coverings, gloves, and foot coverings, for:
any employee exposed to airborne asbestos exceeding the PEL or EL,
work without a negative exposure assessment, or
any employee performing Class I work involving the removal of over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system
insulation or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials.
Employers must launder contaminated clothing to prevent the release of airborne asbestos in excess of the PEL or EL.
Any employer who gives contaminated clothing to another person for laundering must inform him or her of the contami-nation.
Employers must transport contaminated clothing in sealed, impermeable bags or other closed impermeable containers
bearing appropriate labels. ( See the Communication of Hazards in Section 2 of this publication for label requirements.)
The competent person must examine employee worksuits at least once per workshift for rips or tears. Rips or tears
found while the employee is working must be mended immediately or else the worksuits must be replaced immediately.
Hygiene Facilities
Decontamination Requirements for Class I Asbestos Work
For employees performing Class I asbestos jobs involving over 25 linear or 10 square feet of thermal system insulation
or surfacing asbestos- containing or presumed asbestos- containing materials, employers must create a decontamination
area adjacent to and connected with the regulated area. Employees must enter and exit the regulated area through the
decontamination area.
The decontamination area must be composed of an equipment room, shower area and clean room in series. The
equipment room must be supplied with impermeable, labeled bags and containers to store and dispose of contaminated
protective equipment. Shower facilities must be adjacent to both the equipment and clean rooms, unless work is per-formed
outdoors or this arrangement is impractical. If so, employers must ensure that employees remove asbestos conta-mination
from their worksuits in the equipment room using a HEPA vacuum before proceeding to a shower nonadjacent
to the work area; or remove their contaminated worksuits in the equipment room, don clean worksuits and proceed to a
shower nonadjacent to the work area.
The clean room must have a locker or appropriate storage container for each employee unless work is performed out-doors
or this arrangement is not possible. In such a case, employees may clean protective clothing with a portable HEPA
vacuum before leaving the regulated area. Employees then must change into “ street clothing” in clean change areas.
Before entering the regulated area, employees must enter the decontamination area through the clean room; remove
and deposit street clothing within a provided locker; and put on protective clothing and respiratory protection before
leaving the clean area. To enter the regulated area, employees must pass through the equipment room.
Before exiting the regulated area, employees must remove all gross contamination and debris and then remove their
protective clothing in the equipment room, depositing the clothing in labeled, impermeable bags or containers. Employees
must shower before entering the clean room to change into street clothing.
When employees consume food or beverages at the Class I worksite, employers must provide lunch areas with
airborne asbestos levels below the PEL and EL.
17
Decontamination Requirements for Other Class I and Class II and III Asbestos Work
Without a Negative Exposure Assessment and Where Exposures Exceed the PEL
Employers must establish an equipment area adjacent to the regulated area for the decontamination of employees and
their equipment. The area must be covered by an impermeable dropcloth on the floor or horizontal work surface and must
be large enough to accommodate equipment cleaning and personal protective equipment removal without spreading conta-mination
beyond the area. Before removing work clothing, employees must clean it with a HEPA vacuum. All equipment
and the surfaces of containers filled with asbestos- containing materials must be cleaned prior to removal. Employers must
ensure employees enter and exit the regulated area through the equipment area.
Figure 1
Decontamination Area Arrangement
Decontamination Requirements for Class IV Work
Employers must ensure employees performing Class IV work within a regulated area comply with the hygiene prac-tices
required of employees performing work with higher classifications in that regulated area. Otherwise, employees
cleaning up thermal system insulation or asbestos- containing debris must use decontamination facilities required for Class
II and III work where exposure exceeds the PEL or no negative exposure assessment exists.
Smoking
Employers must ensure that employees performing any class of asbestos work do not smoke in any work area with
asbestos exposure.
18
Entrance
Clean
Room
Shower
Room
Equipment
Room
Loading
Area
Work
Area
HEPA
Exhaust
System
Loading personnel
to wear respirators
Inside workers
never exit
through loading
area to outside
Air Lock
Plastic
Barriers
4" min.
4" min.
Sealed 12" min.
up wall
and
across
top
Top View
Housekeeping
Asbestos waste, scrap, debris, bags, containers, equipment and contaminated clothing consigned for disposal must be
collected and disposed of in sealed, labeled, impermeable bags or other closed, labeled impermeable containers.
Employees must use HEPA- filtered vacuuming equipment and must empty it so as to minimize asbestos reentry into the
workplace.
All vinyl and asphalt flooring material must remain intact unless the building owner demonstrates that the flooring
does not contain asbestos. Sanding flooring material is prohibited. Employees stripping finishes must use wet methods
and low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 revolutions per minute. Burnishing or dry buffing may be done only on
flooring with enough finish that the pad cannot contact the flooring material. Employees must not dust, sweep or vacuum
without a HEPA filter in an area containing thermal system insulation or surfacing material or visibly deteriorated
asbestos- containing materials. Employees must promptly clean and dispose of dust and debris in leak- tight containers.
19
Part II
Asbestos Standard for
General Industry
Section 1
Important Facts about Asbestos
Introduction
Asbestos is a widely used, mineral- based material that is resistant to heat and corrosive chemicals. Depending on the
chemical composition, fibers may range in texture from coarse to silky. The properties that make asbestos fibers so valu-able
to industry are its high- tensile strength, flexibility, heat and chemical resistance, and good frictional properties. ( See
Table 1 for a partial list of asbestos- containing products and building materials that have been used during the last 100
years in the United States.)
Asbestos fibers enter the body by inhalation of airborne particles or by ingestion and can become embedded in the tis-sues
of the respiratory or digestive systems. Years of exposure to asbestos can cause numerous disabling or fatal diseases.
Among these diseases are asbestosis, an emphysema- like condition; lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that
spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes covering the lungs and body organs; and gastrointestinal cancer.
Since 1972, however, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA) has regulated asbestos exposure in
general industry, thereby causing a significant decline in exposures resulting from the use of asbestos- containing materi-als.
The revised standard continues to protect workers, in general, who are exposed to asbestos- containing materials but
now includes provisions that apply to workers performing brake and clutch repair and to those doing housekeeping in
buildings and facilities where asbestos- containing materials exist.
This portion of the booklet contains an overview of OSHA’s worker protection requirements for exposure to asbestos
in general industry and describes the steps an employer must take to reduce the levels of asbestos in the workplace. The
revised rule lowers the permissible exposure limit ( PEL), contains mandatory methods of control for brake and clutch
repairs, and provides training provisions for maintenance and custodial workers. ( OSHA has developed a separate stan-dard
for asbestos in the construction industry; see Part I of this guide.)
Scope and Application
OSHA’s revised standards for asbestos were developed in recognition of the vastly different conditions prevailing in
the workplaces for general industry ( 29 Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) Part 1910.1001), for the shipyard industry ( 29
CFR Part 1915), and for the construction industry ( 29 CFR Part 1926.1101). The information in this section applies to all
occupational exposure to asbestos in general industry.
More than 685,000 workers in general industry, mostly in auto repair, are affected by the new standard. OSHA esti-mates,
conservatively, that about 42 additional cancer deaths per year will be avoided in all industries, in addition to the
lives saved of those peripherally exposed to asbestos and the lives saved by earlier OSHA standards.
21
Section 2
Provisions of the Standard
OSHA sets out several provisions employers must follow to comply with the asbestos standard. The agency has estab-lished
strict exposure limits and guidelines for exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, regulated areas
and communication of hazards.
Permissible Exposure Limits ( PELs)
Time- Weighted Average ( TWA)— The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration
of asbestos in excess of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air ( 0.1 f/ cc) as averaged over an 8- hour day.
Excursion Limit ( EL)— The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of
asbestos in excess of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter of air ( 1 f/ cc) as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.
OSHA has adopted the term “ excursion limit” to refer to the short- term permissible exposure limit to be consistent
with the terminology used by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ( ACGIH).
Exposure Monitoring
Except for brake and clutch repair where a “ preferred” control method is used, each employer who has a workplace or
work operation covered by this standard must assess all asbestos operations for their potential to generate airborne fibers.
Where exposure may exceed the PEL, employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples
representing the 8- hour TWA and 30- minute EL for each employee.
Initial monitoring also must be performed for all employees who are, or may reasonably be expected to be, exposed
to airborne concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/ or EL unless: ( 1) monitoring results conducted after
March 31, 1992, meet all other standard- related requirements; and ( 2) the collected data demonstrate that asbestos is not
capable of being released in airborne concentrations at or above the PEL and/ or EL when materials are being processed,
use, or handled. If initial monitoring indicates that exposures are above the PEL and/ or EL, periodic monitoring must be
conducted at intervals no greater than every six months. If either initial or periodic monitoring statistically indicates that
employee exposures are below the PEL and/ or EL, the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees
whose exposures are represented by such monitoring.
The employer must reinitiate monitoring whenever there has been a change in the production, process, control equip-ment,
personnel or work practices that may result in new or additional exposures to asbestos above the PEL and/ or EL, or
when the employer has reason to suspect that a change may result in new or additional exposures above the PEL and/ or EL.
Affected employees and their representatives must be allowed to observe monitoring and must be notified in writing,
either individually or by posting results in an accessible location within 15 working days after the receipt of the results
of monitoring. This written notification must contain the corrective action being taken by the employer to reduce
employee exposure to asbestos on or below the PEL and/ or EL wherever monitoring results indicate that the PEL and/ or
EL has been exceeded. If monitoring is being observed in a regulated area, the observer must be provided proper protec-tive
clothing and equipment.
Medical Surveillance
The employer must institute a medical surveillance program for all employees who are or will be exposed to airborne
concentrations of asbestos at or above the PEL and/ or EL. All medical examinations and procedures must be performed by
or under the supervision of a licensed physician. Such exams must occur at a reasonable time and place and must be
provided at no cost to the employee. At a minimum, such examinations must include a medical and work history; a com-plete
physical examination with emphasis on the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system and the digestive tract; a
chest X- ray; pulmonary function tests; respiratory disease standardized questionnaire as set forth in 29 CFR 1910.1001
Appendix D, Part 1, of the standard; and any additional tests deemed appropriate by the examining physician. These
examinations must be made available annually. Chest roentgenograms must be conducted in accordance with Table 3.
22
Table 3
Frequency of Chest Roentgenogram
Also, an abbreviated standardized questionnaire ( see 29 CFR Part 1910.1001, Appendix D, Part 2, of the standard)
must also be administered to the employee as part of the periodic ( annual) medical examination. Upon termination of
employment, the employer must provide a termination of employment medical exam to the employee within 30 calendar
days before or after the date of termination.
If adequate records exist that show the employee has been examined in accordance with the standard within the past
year, no additional medical examination is required. A pre- employment medical examination may not be used to meet
this requirement unless the employer pays for it.
The employer must provide the examining physician with a copy of the standard and Appendixes D and E; a descrip-tion
of the affected employee’s duties as they relate to his or her asbestos exposure; the employee’s actual or anticipated
exposure level; a description of any personal protective and respiratory equipment used or to be used; and information
from previous medical examinations. Once the physician has completed the exam, the employer must obtain a written
signed opinion from the physician. It must contain the results of the medical examination and the physician’s opinion as
to whether the employee has any detailed medical conditions that would place the employee at an increased risk from
exposure to asbestos, any recommended limitations on the employee or upon the use of personal protective equipment
such as respirators, a statement that the employee has been informed by the physician of the results of the examination,
and a statement that the employee has been informed by the physician of the increased risk of lung cancer attributable to
the combined effect of smoking and asbestos exposure.
The physician is not to reveal in the written opinion given to the employer specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to
occupational exposure to asbestos. The employer must provide a copy of the physician’s written opinion to the affected
employee within 30 days of its receipt.
Recordkeeping
The employer must keep an accurate record of all exposure measurements taken to monitor employee exposure to
asbestos. This record must be kept for 30 years. The employer also must maintain an accurate record for each employee
subject to medical surveillance.
This record must be maintained for the duration of employment plus 30 years. In addition, the employer must maintain
all employee training records for one year beyond the last date of employment by the employee.
All records must be made available to the commissioner of labor, affected employees, former employees and designat-ed
representatives in accordance with 29 CFR Part 1910.1020. When the employer ceases to do business and there is no
successor to receive the records for the prescribed period, the employer must notify the director of NIOSH at least 90
days prior to the disposal of records.
Also, if handling, using or processing any products made from or containing asbestos are exempted, the employer must
establish and maintain accurate records of objective data that exempt these products. These records must be kept for the
duration of the employer’s reliance upon the data.
Building and facility owners also are required to maintain records about the presence, location and quantity of
asbestos- containing material and presumed asbestos- containing material in the building or facility. These records must be
kept for the duration of ownership and must be transferred to the successive owners.
23
Years since
first exposure Age of employee
15 to 35 35+ to 45 45+
0 to 10 Every 5 years Every 5 years Every 5 years
10+ Every 5 years Every 2 years Every 1 year
Regulated Areas
The employer must establish and set apart a regulated area wherever airborne concentrations of asbestos and/ or pre-sumed
asbestos- containing material exceed the PEL and/ or EL. Only authorized personnel may enter regulated areas. All
people entering a regulated area must be supplied with and are required to use an appropriate respirator.
No smoking, eating, drinking, chewing tobacco or gum, or applying cosmetics is permitted in regulated areas.
Warning signs must be provided and displayed at each regulated area and must be posted at all approaches to regulated
areas. Where necessary, signs must bear pictures or graphics, or be written in appropriate language so that all employees
understand them. These signs must bear the following information:
In addition, warning labels must be affixed to all asbestos products ( raw materials, mixtures, scrap) and to all
containers of asbestos products, including waste containers, that may be in the workplace. The labels must comply
with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1200( j) of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard and must include the
following information:
Labels or material safety data sheets ( MSDSs) are not required where asbestos fibers have been modified by a bonding
agent, coating, binder or other materials, if the manufacturer can demonstrate that during handling, storing, disposing,
processing or transporting no airborne concentrations of fibers of asbestos in excess of PEL and/ or EL will be released or
if asbestos is present in a product in a concentration of less than 1 percent.
Communication of Hazards
Building/ Facility Owners Duties
The communication of asbestos hazards is vital. Employees engaged in housekeeping activities in public and
commercial buildings with installed asbestos- containing materials may be exposed to asbestos fibers. Building owners are
often the only and/ or best source of information concerning the presence of previously installed asbestos- containing
building materials. The standard requires building owners and employers of potentially exposed employees to institute the
following practices:
In buildings built before 1980, treat thermal system insulation and sprayed- on and troweled- on surfacing materials
as asbestos- containing materials, unless properly analyzed and found not to contain more than 1 percent asbestos.
Train employees who may come in contact with asbestos- containing materials to deal safely with them.
Treat asphalt and vinyl flooring materials installed no later than 1980 as asbestos- containing, unless properly
analyzed and found to contain no more than 1 percent asbestos.
24
DANGER
ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORY AND PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA
DANGER
CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS
AVOID CREATING DUST
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD
Inform employers of employees performing housekeeping activities of the presence and location of asbestos-containing
materials and presumed asbestos- containing materials that may have contaminated the area.
Keep records of the presence, location and quantity of asbestos- containing materials and presumed asbestos- containing
materials present in the building for the duration of ownership and transfer these records to a successive owner.
Information and Training
Employers must develop a training program for all employees who are exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos
at or above the PEL and/ or EL. Training must be provided prior to or at the time of initial assignment and at least yearly
thereafter. The training program must inform employees about ways in which they can safeguard their health.
In addition, employers must provide an awareness training course for employees who do housekeeping operations in
facilities where asbestos- containing materials or presumed asbestos- containing materials are present. The elements of the
course must include the health effects of asbestos; locations; signs of damage and deterioration of asbestos- containing
materials and presumed asbestos- containing materials; the proper response to fiber release episodes; and where the house-keeping
requirements are found in the standard. This training must be held annually and conducted so that all employees
understand it. Also, all training materials must be available to the employees without cost and, upon request, to the com-missioner
of labor or her designee.
25
Section 3
Methods of Compliance
Control Methods
To the extent feasible, engineering and work practice controls must be used to reduce and maintain employee exposure
at or below the PEL and/ or EL. The standard, therefore, requires the employer to institute the following measures:
Design, construct, install and maintain local exhaust ventilation and dust collection systems according to the American
National Standard Fundamentals Governing the Design and Operation of Local Exhaust Systems, ANSI Z9.2- 1979.
Provide a local exhaust ventilation system for all hand- operated and power- operated tools such as saws, scorers,
abrasive wheels, and drills that produce or release fibers of asbestos.
Handle, mix, apply, remove, cut, score or work asbestos in a wet state to prevent employee exposure.
Do not remove cement, mortar, coating, grout, plaster or similar materials containing asbestos from bags, cartons or
other containers that are being shipped without wetting, enclosing or ventilating them.
Do not sand floors containing asbestos.
Do not use compressed air to remove asbestos or materials containing asbestos unless the compressed air is used in
conjunction with a ventilation system designed to capture the dust cloud created by the compressed air.
Use a negative- pressure enclosure/ HEPA1 vacuum system or a low- pressure/ wet cleaning method during automotive
brake and clutch inspection, disassembly, repair, and assembly operations. An equivalent method also can be used if
the employer demonstrates that the method being used achieves the required exposure reductions. ( See 29 CFR Part
1910.1001 Appendix F, Part C, of the standard.)
Where no more than five pairs of brakes or five clutches are inspected, disassembled, repaired or assembled weekly,
the employer may use the control methods or work practices as set forth in 29 CFR Part 1910.1001 Appendix F,
Paragraph D, of the standard.
Where engineering and work practice controls have been instituted but are insufficient to reduce exposure to the
required level, the employer must supplement them by using respiratory protection. Where the PEL and/ or EL is
exceeded, the employer must establish and implement a written program to reduce employee exposure to or below
the PEL and to or below the EL by means of engineering and work practice controls and by the use of respirators
where required and permitted.
Written plans for the program must be available upon request to the commissioner of labor or his designee, and
employees and their representatives. These plans must be reviewed and updated, as necessary, to reflect significant
changes in the compliance program.
Employee rotation cannot be used as a means of compliance with the PEL and/ or the EL.
Respiratory Protection
Respirators must be selected, provided and used in the following circumstances:
while feasible engineering and work practice controls are being installed or implemented;
during maintenance and repair activities, or other activities where engineering and work practice controls are not
feasible;
in work situations where feasible engineering and work practice controls are not yet sufficient to reduce exposure to
or below the PEL and/ or EL; and
in emergencies.
26
__________
1. High- efficiency particulate air ( HEPA) filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of all monodispersed particles of 0.3
micrometer in diameter.
Respirators must be selected from among those approved by NIOSH under the provisions of Title 42, CFR Part 84.
The employer must also provide a powered, air- purifying respirator in lieu of any negative- pressure respirator when the
employee chooses it and when the respirator provides adequate protection. And, where respiratory protection is required,
the employer must develop a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134 ( b)–( d) ( except
( d)( 1)( iii)) and ( f) through ( m). The respirators and the respiratory protection program must be provided to employees
free of charge.
Employees who use a filter respirator must use a high- efficiency filter and must change filters whenever an increase in
breathing resistance is detected. Employees who wear respirators must be allowed to wash their faces and respirator face-pieces
whenever necessary to prevent skin irritation associated with respirator use. An employee must not be assigned to
tasks requiring the use of respirators if a physician determines that the employee is unable to function normally wearing a
respirator or that the employee’s safety and health or that of others would be affected by the employee’s use of a respirator.
In this case, the employer must assign the employee to another job or give the employee the opportunity to transfer to a
different job that does not require the use of a respirator. The job must be with the same employer, in the same geographical
area, and with the same seniority, status, and rate of pay, if such a position is available.
The employer must ensure that a respirator issued to an employee fits properly and exhibits minimum facepiece leak-age.
Employers also must perform quantitative or qualitative fit tests, whichever are appropriate, at the time of initial fit-ting
and at least every year for each employee wearing tight- fitting respirators. Protocols for fit tests are set forth in 29
CFR 1910.134, Appendix A, of the standard. Tests must be used to select facepieces that provides required protection.
( See Table 4.)
Table 4
Assigned Protection Factors
27
Type of Respirator1,2
Air- purifying Respirator
Powered Air- purifying Respirator
Supplied- air Respirator or Airline Respirator
Demand mode
Continuous flow mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus ( SCBA)
Demand mode
Pressure- demand or other postitive- pressure mode
( e. g., open/ closed circuit)
Half Mask
103
50
10
50
50
10
–
Full Facepiece
50
1,000
50
1,000
1,000
50
10,000
Notes:
1. Employers may select respirators assigned for use in higher workplace concentrations of a
hazardous substance for use at lower concentrations of that substance, or when required
respirator use is independent of concentration.
2. The assigned protection factors in this table are only effective when the employer implements
a continuing effective respirator program as required by the respiratory protection standard,
29 CFR 1910.134, including training, fit testing, maintenance, and use requirements.
3. Employers may not select or use filtering facepieces to protect against asbestos fibers.
Protective Clothing
For any employee exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos that exceed the PEL and/ or EL, the employer must
provide at no cost to the employee, and require the use of, protective clothing, such as coveralls or similar full- body
clothing, head coverings, gloves and foot coverings. In addition, wherever the possibility of eye irritation exists, face
shields, vented goggles or other appropriate protective equipment must be provided and worn.
Asbestos- contaminated work clothing must be removed in change rooms and placed and stored in closed, labeled
containers that prevent dispersion of the asbestos into the ambient environment. Protective clothing and equipment must
be cleaned, laundered, repaired or replaced to maintain effectiveness.
The employer must provide clean protective clothing and equipment at least weekly to each affected employee. The
employer must inform any person who launders or cleans asbestos- contaminated clothing or equipment of the potentially
harmful effects of exposure to asbestos. In addition, the employer must be certain that the person doing the cleaning or
laundering has been properly instructed on how to effectively prevent the release of airborne fibers in excess of the per-missible
exposure limits. For example, asbestos must never be removed from protective clothing by means of blowing or
shaking.
Contaminated clothing and equipment taken out of change rooms or the workplace for cleaning, maintenance or disposal
must be transported in sealed impermeable bags or other closed impermeable containers and must be appropriately labeled.
Hygiene Facilities and Practices
Employees who are required to work in regulated areas must be provided with clean change rooms, shower facilities
and lunchrooms. Change rooms must have two separate lockers or storage facilities— one for contaminated clothing, the
other for street clothing. They must be far enough apart to prevent accidental contamination of the employee’s street
clothes. Employees must shower at the end of the shift and cannot leave the workplace wearing any clothing or equip-ment
worn during the work shift. Lunchroom facilities must have a positive- pressure filtered air supply and must be read-ily
accessible to employees. See Figure 1.
28
Figure 1
Decontamination Area Arrangement
The employer must ensure that employees do not enter lunchroom facilities with protective work clothing or equip-ment
unless surface asbestos fibers have been removed by vacuuming or some other method that removes dust without
causing the asbestos to become airborne. The employer also must ensure that employees wash their hands prior to eating,
drinking, or smoking. Smoking is prohibited in regulated areas.
Housekeeping
All surfaces must be maintained as free as possible of accumulations of waste containing asbestos or asbestos dust. The
preferred methods of cleanup are wet cleaning and/ or vacuuming with HEPA- filtered vacuuming equipment. Compressed
air may not be used to clean surfaces contaminated by asbestos at any time. Whichever cleanup method is chosen, the
equipment must be used and emptied in a manner that minimizes the reentry of asbestos into the workplace.
The employer also must ensure that all spills and sudden releases of asbestos- containing materials are immediately
cleaned up, that sanding asbestos- containing floors is prohibited, and that low abrasion pads at speeds lower than 300 rpm
and wet methods are used. If the floor has sufficient finish, brushing or dry buffing is permissible. If workers are required
to buff or wax asbestos- containing resilient floors, building and facility owners must identify the installed material and
inform employees and employers of employees doing such housekeeping work.
Asbestos waste, scrap, debris, bags, containers, equipment and asbestos- contaminated clothing consigned for disposal
must be collected and disposed of in sealed, labeled, impermeable bags or other closed, labeled impermeable containers.
29
Entrance
Clean
Room
Shower
Room
Equipment
Room
Loading
Area
Work
Area
HEPA
Exhaust
System
Loading personnel
to wear respirators
Inside workers
never exit
through loading
area to outside
Air Lock
Plastic
Barriers
4" min.
4" min.
Sealed 12" min.
up wall
and
across
top
Top View
Glossary
The following terms are used in this document but are not elsewhere defined:
Air- purifying respirator: a respirator with an air- purifying filter, cartridge or canister that removes specific air contami-nants
by passing ambient air through the air- purifying element.
Asbestos- containing: having an asbestos content of greater than 1 percent.
ACM: asbestos- containing material.
Atmosphere- supplying respirator or supplied- air respirator: A respirator that supplies the respirator user with breathing air
from a source independent of the ambient atmosphere. This type includes supplied- air respirators ( SARs) and self- con-tained
breathing apparatus ( SCBA) units.
Excursion limit ( EL): The maximum concentration of an air contaminant to which an employee may be exposed for 30
minutes without regard to the use of a respirator.
Exposure or occupational exposure: Occurs when a person comes into contact with a chemical in the environment. May
involve oral ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin or the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.
Glove bag: Glove bags are approximately 40- inch- wide times 64- inch- long bags fitted with arms through which the work
can be performed. When properly installed and used, they permit workers to remain completely isolated from the asbestos
material removed or replaced inside the bag. Glove bags can thus provide a flexible, easily installed and quickly disman-tled
temporary small work area enclosure that is ideal for small- scale asbestos renovation or maintenance jobs. These
bags are single- use control devices that are disposed of at the end of each job. The bags are made of transparent 6- mil-thick
polyethylene plastic with arms of spun- bonded polyolefin material ( the same material used to make the disposable
protective suits used in major asbestos removal, renovation and demolition operations and in protective gloves).
Mesothelioma: a rare cancer of the thin membrane lining of the chest and abdomen. Symptoms of mesothelioma include
shortness of breath, pain in the walls of the chest and/ or abdominal pain.
Negative- pressure respirator: A tight- fitting respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative during
inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator.
Objective data: data that demonstrates that the product or material containing asbestos minerals or the activity involving
such product or material cannot release airborne fibers in concentrations in excess of the PEL under those work condi-tions
having the greatest potential for releasing asbestos. The employer may use data derived from other employers’ jobs.
The data should reflect worst case conditions in a variety of occupational settings.
PACM: Presumed asbestos- containing material
Powered air- purifying respirator: a device equipped with: a facepiece, hood or helmet; breathing tube; canister, car-tridge,
filter, canister with filter or cartridge with filter; and a blower.
Presumed asbestos- containing material: thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings constructed
before 1981. The designation of a material as “ PACM” may be rebutted pursuant to paragraph ( k)( 5) of 29 CFR
1926.1101.
Permissible exposure limit ( PEL): An exposure limit that is published and enforced by OSHA as a legal standard. The
asbestos standard has both an 8- hour time- weighted average ( TWA) permissible exposure limit ( 0.1 fiber per cubic cen-timeter)
and a 30- minute TWA excursion limit ( 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter).
Regulated area: an area established by the employer to demarcate areas where Class I, II and III asbestos work is con-ducted,
and any adjoining area where debris and waste from such asbestos work accumulate; and a work area within
which airborne concentrations of asbestos exceed or there is a reasonable possibility they may exceed the permissible
exposure limit.
Respirator: any device designed to provide the wearer with respiratory protection against inhalation of a hazardous
atmosphere.
Tensile strength: the greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing apart.
30
Additional Information
For questions regarding asbestos and the material discussed in this booklet, please contact the agencies listed below.
1. Specifications for Asbestos Hazard Management Program, including the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response
Act, and asbestos abatement requirements of the N. C. Department of Administration, Division of State
Construction, and N. C. Department of Public Instruction for asbestos removal projects in state- owned and public
school buildings:
Asbestos Program
Health Hazards Control Unit
1912 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1912
Telephone: ( 919) 707- 5950
2. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:
N. C. Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Public Health
Health Hazards Control Unit
1912 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1912
Telephone: ( 919) 707- 5950
3. Transportation of asbestos and asbestos waste:
Program Administrator
N. C. Division of Motor Vehicles
Enforcement Motor Carriers
3128 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 3128
Telephone: ( 919) 861- 3186
4. North Carolina Solid Waste Management Rules ( regulating the disposal of asbestos waste in landfills):
N. C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
1646 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1646
5. Licensing for contractors ( including general contract work and asbestos contracting):
N. C. Licensing Board for General Contractors
P. O. Box 17187
Raleigh, NC 27619
Telephone: ( 919) 571- 4183
31
The following industry guides are available from the N. C. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and
Health Division:
1# 1. A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces
1# 2. A Guide to Procedures of the N. C. Safety and Health Review Commission ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 3. A Guide to Machine Safeguarding
1# 4. A Guide to OSHA in North Carolina
1# 5. A Guide for Persons Employed in Cotton Dust Environments ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 6. A Guide to Lead Exposure in the Construction Industry ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
1# 7. A Guide to Bloodborne Pathogens in the Workplace
1# 8. A Guide to Voluntary Training and Training Requirements in OSHA Standards
1# 9. A Guide to Ergonomics
# 10. A Guide to Farm Safety and Health ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 11. A Guide to Radio Frequency Hazards With Electric Detonators ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 12. A Guide to Forklift Operator Training
# 13. A Guide to the Safe Storage of Explosive Materials ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 14. A Guide to the OSHA Excavations Standard
# 15. A Guide to Developing and Maintaining an Effective Hearing Conservation Program
# 16. A Guide to Construction Jobsite Safety and Health/ Guía de Seguridad y Salud para el Trabajo de Construcción
# 17. A Guide to Asbestos for Industry
# 18. A Guide to Electrical Safety
# 19. A Guide to Occupational Exposure to Wood, Wood Dust and Combustible Dust Hazards ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 20. A Guide to Crane Safety
# 23. A Guide to Working With Electricity
# 25. A Guide to Personal Protective Equipment
# 26. A Guide to Manual Materials Handling and Back Safety
# 27. A Guide to the Control of Hazardous Energy ( Lockout/ Tagout)
# 28. A Guide to Eye Wash and Safety Shower Facilities
# 29. A Guide to Safety and Health in Feed and Grain Mills ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 30. A Guide to Working With Corrosive Substances ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 31. A Guide to Formaldehyde ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 32. A Guide to Fall Prevention in Industry
# 32s. Guía de Protección Contra Caídas en la Industria ( Spanish version of # 32)
# 33. A Guide to Office Safety and Health ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 34. A Guide to Safety and Health in the Poultry Industry ( downloadable PDF ONLY)
# 35. A Guide to Preventing Heat Stress
# 38. A Guide to Safe Scaffolding
# 40. A Guide to Emergency Action Planning
# 41. A Guide to OSHA for Small Businesses in North Carolina
# 41s. Guía OSHA para Pequeños Negocios en Carolina del Norte ( Spanish version of # 41)
# 42. A Guide to Transportation Safety
# 43. A Guide to Combustible Dusts
Occupational Safety and Health ( OSH)
Sources of Information
You may call 1- 800- NC- LABOR ( 1- 800- 625- 2267) to reach any division of the N. C. Department of Labor; or visit the
NCDOL home page on the World Wide Web: http:// www. nclabor. com.
N. C. Occupational Safety and Health Division
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 3rd Floor)
Local Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2900 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2856
For information concerning education, training and interpretations of occupational safety and health standards contact:
Education, Training and Technical Assistance Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 4th Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2875 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2876
For information concerning occupational safety and health consultative services and safety awards programs contact:
Consultative Services Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 3rd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2899 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2902
For information concerning migrant housing inspections and other related activities contact:
Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 2nd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2923 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2924
For information concerning occupational safety and health compliance contact:
Safety and Health Compliance District Offices
Raleigh District Office ( 313 Chapanoke Road, Raleigh, NC 27603)
Telephone: ( 919) 779- 8570 Fax: ( 919) 662- 4709
Asheville District Office ( 204 Charlotte Highway, Suite B, Asheville, NC 28803- 8681)
Telephone: ( 828) 299- 8232 Fax: ( 828) 299- 8266
Charlotte District Office ( 901 Blairhill Road, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28217- 1578)
Telephone: ( 704) 665- 4341 Fax: ( 704) 665- 4342
Winston- Salem District Office ( 4964 University Parkway, Suite 202, Winston- Salem, NC 27106- 2800)
Telephone: ( 336) 776- 4420 Fax: ( 336) 776- 4422
Wilmington District Office ( 1200 N. 23rd St., Suite 205, Wilmington, NC 28405- 1824)
Telephone: ( 910) 251- 2678 Fax: ( 910) 251- 2654
*** To make an OSHA Complaint, OSH Complaint Desk: ( 919) 807- 2796***
For statistical information concerning program activities contact:
Planning, Statistics and Information Management Bureau
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 2nd Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2950 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2951
For information about books, periodicals, vertical files, videos, films, audio/ slide sets and computer databases contact:
N. C. Department of Labor Library
Mailing Address: Physical Location:
1101 Mail Service Center 111 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101 ( Old Revenue Building, 5th Floor)
Telephone: ( 919) 807- 2848 Fax: ( 919) 807- 2849
N. C. Department of Labor ( Other than OSH)
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699- 1101
Telephone: ( 919) 733- 7166 Fax: ( 919) 733- 6197